I think a big mistake was made in the book description by making a comparison to "Eat, Pray, Love," "The Alchemist," and "Wild," all of which I have read. I expected an account of a young woman overcoming a monumental struggle while trying to hold onto a dream. While I do sympathize with her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, especially at such a comparatively young age, what I encountered was more of a travelogue. These accounts might have been more interesting if I were a person who enjoys travel.

Coincidentally, during the same time I read "The Gap,"I was reading another author's memoir about his horrific battle with epilepsy. As if that were not more than enough to take on while trying to finish college, numerous physicians turned out to be incompetent in the area of epilepsy while treating him. He reached the point where his medications were a handful of doses away from killing him.

So, when I read of Ms. Venskunas's medical diagnosis, but see that she can still quite breezily travel the world, fall in love, come to a few realizations about herself, and still carry on independently with her life, I am happy for her. However, in the introduction to the book, she states the hope that her readers--- assisted by her book, I suppose--- would come to "unlock the path to their dreams.." I just don't see the connection between that statement and her travelogue..

Kim was diagnosed with MS at the young age of 19. She decided to not let it rule her life and continued to travel, work etc. The book is a great example of keeping positive and motivating yourself when you face difficulties. Reading about Kim's travels and the cultural issues she happened upon as she moved and lived around the world was very interesting.