Again late to the table but 2024 and reading lots

Kim and her husband decide to leave their jobs and travel around the world. They are given a yellow envelope with instructions to give money to those who they feel they want to help.

Sound Idylic or is it - it is a story of two people and their relationship and although we wish for all of this the grass is not always greener on the other side

The author writes well and I enjoyed this story and will be seeking out this authors work

This book was archived before I was able to download it. I appreciate the opportunity to review though!

Kim is unhappy with her 'picture perfect' life. She yearns for more. She convinces her husband to sell everything they own and backpack around the world with her. Friends give Kim the gift of the yellow envelope. An envelope with money to give to those they meet along the love.

I loved the idea of this book. The idea of a travel story with a pay it forward angle to it. I really imagined this book to be about the people Kim and her husband met and how the money turned someone's day around. That was not this book at all. About 75% percent of this book was inside Kim's head. About how unhappy she was. About how spiritual she felt. About how she couldn't find herself/did find herself. About how she did/didn't like her husband. This made the 'Yellow Envelope' an 'Eat, Pray, Love' type of book.

The yellow envelope it's self seemed more of an angle in the story. Almost off of the money was given as charitable gifts to organizations or large tips to people who had given them services. There really wasn't much out of the blue gestures (the one at the end seemed to be the exception to this).

Also, Kim kept saying what a big risk backpacking around the world was to them but hey could easily have gone home at any time and stayed with family and find jobs.I just didn't buy that part at all.

Despite being similar to Kim ( college educated, suburban, white woman) I didn't connect as all with her at all. She can across as extremely unlikable and self centered and acted very self righteous most of the time toward the other westerners on their trip.
I did like learning about some of the people they met and loved hearing about the places the traveled (especially the location with the turtle in Bali) but other then that this book was a big miss for me.

An entertaining read, this book captured quite a few of my wanderlust fantasies. I adored the concept of the "yellow envelope" and how a young couple gave up everything they had to explore the world-- a challenge (also personal), and a heartfelt adventure told in a really relatable way.

This was a fun read and really loved watching Kim learn about herself throughout the book. I could totally relate to her emotions and saw myself often in her experiences.

This is a great book for anyone who is contemplating or has contemplated what their life purpose is.. The Yellow Envelope was an adventure in many ways and I didn't even have to leave my home! However, now that I've read it, I want to take a global adventure myself.

While parts of this travel memoir dragged a little for me, I loved the overall idea of actually selling all your stuff and traveling the world. I really appreciated the honesty about how hard it is to be in an unfamiliar place - the line "Even on easy days, traveling could be isolating" really resonated with me and felt so authentic. I will say that I struggled with how much of this was a memoir of marriage issues set across the globe rather than an exploration story of the world. Overall, I enjoyed both the travel anecdotes and the idea of the Yellow Envelope itself.

I LOVED this book, one of the most interesting travel reads I've read in a while. I loved reading about their adventures, and the idea of that little, yellow envelope. Cannot recommend enough!

Such an interesting concept--the idea sparks my wanderlust. I like reading about the places the couple adventure. However, I found the writing somewhat choppy and the story presented in an overly sappy manner. For me, it was just too cliche.

I wanted to like this because I have had fantasies of doing the same thing as the author: give up virtually of my stuff and travel with my husband. The trouble here was that it just wasn't a compelling read. She has a popular blog and I can see how that would be true. Pictures might have spiced things up a bit. But the voice she used felt like she was dragging her former self around by a rope, inching the story out a bit at a time. I think it could have been pieced together differently to draw me in, or, at the least, there could have been some kind of literary element (repetition, consistently inserted anecdotes from others' perspectives, or a more playful tone) to prevent the book from being a little boring.

It was interesting to see the adventures, I just didn't enjoy the presentation.

Despite being intrigued by the yellow envelope idea, I never managed to finish it the book. I forced myself to read the first 100 pages but eventually I gave up.

I love a good travel story and it's even better when it's based on real-life. I was expecting an Eat, Pray, Love kinda memoir, but was met with a bit of unrealistic and privileged mid-life crisis of sorts. Good read overall.

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy travel memoir books, as well as reflections on self-discovery.

This book follows the true story of Kim and Brian Dinan's adventure as they sell their home and cars, quit their jobs, and embark on an unknown world journey. They are given a yellow envelope filled with money before they leave, and are instructed to give it away as they wish along the way. This book is a recount of their travels, but also the journey of Kim's self discovery.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book, but once I dove in I was pretty captivated. I always love reading about people's travels, and the struggles they deal with as they travel. While I have not traveled extensively or internationally, I can relate to how hard traveling often is. It's meant to be a journey, a struggle, and something that you learn from. I appreciated that honesty in this memoir. I also really loved that she tackled the complicated emotions and opinions related to the right way to live, the right way to travel, and the right way to give. It is so easy to think that anything we do is not "enough". Or to over-think our motives, or how our actions might look... but I appreciated that she acknowledges these things in herself and others and it all comes down to: we are all doing the best we can. And we'll all keep doing great things and also messing up, and it will be fine. We'll learn from it. I did have to stop reading this at one point, there is a portion where things are not going smoothly and Kim and Brian aren't communicating very well, I had to take a bit of a break because it broke my heart a bit. However, once I kept going it was fine. I think I was just consuming a bit too much media with a stark tone to it at the time.

I went through half of before giving up and that is saying a lot at least for me. I rarely read memoir and if I Do they are usually historical Non Fiction memoirs about generals or war something.

I dragged myself through the beginning, Not because it was poorly written. Or anything like that, The Yellow Envelope is a taste for certain taste buds. And I do not include in that.

The author and her husband give up traditional work to set off as world travelers. They are given a yellow envelope with money to be given away, but they discover giving money isn't as valuable as giving their time to help others. A bit sappy for my taste, but it was interesting to "visit" places I will likely never go.

Kim wants to quit her job and travel the world. She convinces her husband, and they sell all their belongings as well as their house. But, before they leave they are given a yellow envelope. A yellow envelope that ultimately helps shape their adventure and is there with them through love, loss, and making new friends. An adventure that takes them on a journey around the globe and changes their lives forever.

"I'd upturned so many rocks, scavenged like the starving for the missing pieces of myself, just to learn that I'd held them all along."

Wow! Are you sure Kim Dinan was writing about her life and not mine? I have never been so moved, empowered and appreciative of a book EVER!

Kim tells the story of how she and her husband Brian came to the decision to sell all their assets and travel the world for an undecided amount of time. Before leaving for their travels they were given a yellow envelope with $1000 in it from their close friends Michele and Glenn with the sole purpose of using the money to pass on kindness. The money could be used all at once, in small amounts or not at all. Kim and Brian were to decide how and when to use the money and in doing so Michele and Glenn felt like they were on the journey too.

It becomes clear very quickly that Kim has many inner demons and battles she has to face if she is ever to be truly happy and comfortable in her own skin. This is what resonated with me the most. I myself went travelling for 4 years and didn't realise at the time I was trying to find inner happiness. The message of this book is that inner happiness doesn't come from running to the other side of the world. It comes from being honest with yourself and facing your problems head on. It comes from identifying exactly what you want for your life and what you are going to do to achieve that. I myself have found true happiness in the place I ran away from. My happiness comes from my friends and family and I know now everything I could ever of wanted was always right there Infront of me. The feeling of needing to get away wasn't my towns fault or anyone else's fault it was me needing to accept who I am with all my flaws and to be the best possible person I can be and this is exactly what Kim needs to discover on her journey too.

The story isn't just about Kim though. It describes all the amazing places she travels on her journey and most importantly the kind and heartwarming people she met on the way. It shows on more than one occasion that sometimes the people who have the least are the most likely to give the most and ways of lives we may look down our nose at, other people are content and happy with.

This book came into my life at exactly the right time and it has filled me with so much passion and positivity for the future and life. I recommend it to anyone who has ever doubted their path or who has a passion for travelling.

Thank you to Kim Dinan for sharing your personal journey with me and to met galley for the free e-copy in return for an honest review.

While I understand that this is a true story and the writer is an excellent writer, I was expecting more of an account of her travels. While she does talk about that as well, I was not expecting all the introspective emotions about why she chose to leave everything behind to travel. I put it down shortly after they were in South America because I didn't care for her attitude or the way she treated her husband. I'm sure they came to a happier relationship eventually but I just couldn't read it. I realize truth is harsher than fiction.
I do like the premise of the yellow envelope, but even that idea had an admonishment not to overthink the gift.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review. I save 5 star reviews for books that I not only enjoy, but actually impact my perspective and affect my actions. This book did that. I wasn't sure I was going to relate to Kim in the beginning. It seemed selfish to reject a man that was admittedly good to her. However, as the book unfolds, Kim really represents many Westerners that can no longer appreciate their lives because they're always thinking about the next prize or promotion. Most people can relate to feeling overstimulated and unfulfilled in this digital age. Ultimately, this story shows how kind acts, both given and received, shift focus from striving to finding satisfaction with how our lives unfold.

Lovely travel memoir. I felt like I could relate to the author at various points throughout the book. She laid it all out there and painted great pictures of the locale wherever she happened to be at a particular part of the book. She didn't sugar coat travel as something romantic and always happy. She spoke of the scary parts, the homesickness, the difficulty understanding culture and language etc. I found it a bit slow at points and found myself skipping ahead a little. I feel like if I didn't love foreign culture I would have been bored and looking for more action. I doubt the story would have held my attention. I am interested in where the author is now and want to check out her blog.
I received this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion

Can you imagine quitting your job and selling your house and possessions to travel the world for an indefinite amount of time?

I can, and I can’t.

Adventurous Leslie, who existed in college and for a few years afterwards, would consider this. Mom Leslie, who exists now, of course would not.

Adventurous Leslie who is somewhere still deep inside of me (maybe??) especially appreciated The Yellow Envelope: One Gift, Three Rules, and A Life-Changing Journey Around the World, a memoir by Kim Dinan that reads as a travel and relationship diary. It is honest, engaging, and beautifully descriptive about many places in the world I will likely never see firsthand.

It is, however, the additional element of the “yellow envelope” that moves the memoir beyond just another story of a couple traveling the world.

The “Yellow Envelope” includes a sum of money given to the couple before they leave on their journey. They are instructed to give the money away on their travels as they see fit. The only rules are: don’t overthink it, share the stories of giving if they choose, and don’t feel obligated to give it all away.

What I loved most about these stories is that they showed the good in the world. The author has extra money to give away to people who help her, and she does, sometimes, but sometimes she allows the people to help because they want to give what they can to her. Yes, there is hate and horror in the world but there is more good and beauty. We must always remember that.

These stories also appealed to my no-longer-so adventurous side. Because I have to admit I don’t feel adventurous at all anymore. I can’t imagine riding a train in Europe by myself – with no cell phone – as I did 20 years ago.

I can’t at this point magine going to India even though it fascinates me.

RELATED POST: My favorite movie about India

The author though is transformed in India, where she participates in a rickshaw race across the country with two other women.

“I held the thought of India in my mind. What was it about that country? Something big had happened to me there, an inner shift from one way of being to another. India had forced me to surrender. I realized, to uncurl my fingers, loosen my grip, and let go. And the world had not crumbled around me–just the opposite. The world had come to my aid and shown me that I could be so much more if I let my guard down and revealed myself.”

Although I could not imagine following her path I applaud anyone who can. I can now understand her confusion here:

“More than once I’d lamented to Brian about how backward I thought it was that our culture accepted that people spent lots of money on houses and new cars and buried themselves under mountains of debt but that saving up a tiny pile of cash and then spending it on traveling could be considered irresponsible and selfish.”

She loved how fellow travelers asked her where she had been instead of what she did for a living.

The book shows all that can be gained through travel, especially through the kind of travel that is not “comforts of home repackaged in a foreign land” but travel that makes you “enter other worlds.” This is the difference between vacationing and traveling, she notes.

Though Adventurous Leslie has transformed, I am thankful I did at one point experience some of this type of travel for myself, and even though my sense of adventure may have lessened, traveling gave me much that I will have in me always. And I appreciate this book for reminding me of that.