I looked at her, looking at the photos. What would it be like for her not to go back to Europe again? Knowing that she’s only scratched the surface of the centuries-old continent, but would never return to explore it further? We sat for a moment, she fidgeting over something on the table and I wondering what it must be like to have an explorer’s heart, married to someone with the heart of a farmer. Before I knew what I was saying--and surprising myself--I blurted out, “You know, we should travel together sometime.” “That would be great!” She smiled. “I think we would travel well together.” Her eyes lit up. I could travel with my mom. Seriously--how hard could it be? Thus begins David Alan Morrison’s hilarious memoir about the evolution of family dynamics. Following the sudden death of his father, a single, middle-aged gay guy struggles with his own mortality by reminiscing about the travels with his gregarious mother. Travels With Penny is a look at the transformation of the baffling, complex relationship between children and their parents.