Ken Budd Speaking about Travel, Volunteering Abroad on April 7 in Falls Church, VA

Author Ken Budd will discuss travel, purpose, feeling stupid (his specialty) and his memoir The Voluntourist at JEB Stuart High School in Falls Church, Virginia on April 7 at 7:30 p.m. The talk is sponsored by One More Page Books, which is also in Falls Church.

The Voluntourist tells the story of Ken’s funny, inspiring search for meaning following the sudden death of his father—and the realization that he’ll never be a father himself— as a short-term volunteer in New Orleans, Costa Rica, China, Ecuador, Palestine, and Kenya. All of Ken’s earnings from the book are going back to the places and organizations where he volunteered.

In February, an essay based on the book’s China section won a gold prize in the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) awards competition. The Voluntourist won silver in the 2012 NATJA awards and the 2013 Nautilus Book Awards. Reviewers have called The Voluntourist “incredibly funny,” “deeply moving,” and—Ken’s favorite praise—“like Mother Teresa meets Groucho Marx.”

You can follow Ken Budd on Facebook and Twitter: @VoluntouristKen.