An inspiring reminder that the greatest souvenirs from travel are the insights we bring home
Carol McIlwain’s Managing the Bucket List: The Journey Begins Volume II continues the ambitious project begun in Volume I. This time, McIlwain’s collection of travel experiences evolves into something more unexpected: an attempt to understand the world through history, culture, politics, geography, and international relations.
Given this broad scope, as McIlwain established in the previous book, she is less interested in presenting a typical travel memoir or a conventional guidebook; instead, this book occupies a distinctive space somewhere between autobiography, educational travel writing, and global reflection.
McIlwain begins by explaining why a second volume was necessary. Simply put, Volume I exceeded 500 pages, and rather than condense her material, she chose to split the project in two. The second volume expands the journey by examining earlier leisure travel, work-related international assignments, and the forces shaping global affairs.
The guiding question remains refreshingly straightforward: Is it best to learn about the world through study or direct experience? For McIlwain, the answer to this question is obvious—namely, “experience the world but do it expeditiously.”It’s sound advice for people at every stage of life.
In McIlwain’s case, retirement after nearly four decades with the U.S. Department of the Navy did not signal a slowing down. Instead, she transformed her aspirations into what she calls an “expedited Travel Big Year,” a concept inspired by competitive birdwatching (as portrayed in the film The Big Year) but redirected toward global exploration.
McIlwain made it clear in Volume I that once she started traveling, she “was bitten by the travel bug,” and The Journey Begins Volume II reinforces how globetrotting is not a casual hobby for her. On the contrary, for McIlwain, travel entails the disciplined pursuit of knowledge, although it also involves plenty of fun.
The continuing structure of her recollections reflects that philosophy. Part Three revisits McIlwain’s journeys to destinations such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Peru, Egypt, Israel, and Greece. Each chapter is jam-packed with interesting content, combining histories, cultural observations, politics, practical details, and personal recollections.
For instance, a trip to Aruba may begin with beaches and resorts but then expand into discussions of colonial history and language. Jamaica prompts reflections on slavery, independence, and national identity. Egypt becomes not simply a catalogue of ancient monuments but a meditation on military history, archaeology, and civilization itself.
Aside from the world tour it provides, one of the pleasures of the book is McIlwain’s willingness to follow intellectual tangents. At one point, a discussion about Caribbean islands unexpectedly leads to a story about a parody version of the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” and diplomatic tensions in the Balkans.
Elsewhere, a cruise to Bermuda evolves into an extended examination of the Bermuda Triangle, unidentified aerial phenomena, and government investigations into unexplained events. These diversions are eccentric, but they also reveal McIlwain’s restless curiosity. She cannot simply visit a place; she must understand it.
Part Four focuses on destinations visited during McIlwain’s professional career, including Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Japan, Haiti, Australia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Unlike the leisure travel sections, these chapters blend tourism with the realities of government service and international engagement, offering a rich picture of global interconnectedness.
McIlwain repeatedly returns to the idea that knowledge shapes perception. As she explains, “the knowledge retained within the brain facilitates but also limits one to interpret the world around them.” Travel becomes a means of expanding that knowledge base and challenging assumptions. Rather than collecting passport stamps, she seeks understanding.
The culmination of this approach is reached in Part Five, where the book turns explicitly toward international relations. Drawing on the work of thinkers such as Henry Kissinger, Robert Kaplan, Samuel Huntington, Jared Diamond, and John Mearsheimer, McIlwain attempts to synthesize lessons gathered through decades of travel and reading. As a consequence, it is undoubtedly the book’s most ambitious section. The transition from travel writing to fairly in-depth geopolitical theory is initially rather surprising, but on closer reading it follows naturally from McIlwain’s long-standing interests and overarching purpose in writing about bucket lists.
Indeed, one of the central ideas of Volume II is that travel can serve as a pathway to better global understanding. McIlwain asks, “Can tourism be a game-changer for world peace?” While she stops short of offering simplistic answers, she intelligently argues that exposure to different cultures promotes empathy, mutual respect, and broader perspectives.
Her admiration for UNESCO’s mission is particularly evident. Quoting the organization’s belief that “Since wars begin in the minds of men and women, it is in the minds of men and women that peace must be built,” she presents travel as one small contribution toward achieving that goal.
The phrase that best encapsulates McIlwain’s philosophy appears several times throughout the two-volume project: “Traveling with the intent to merge history, culture, and environment creates an intellectual traveler.” She is not primarily seeking adventure, luxury, or escapism. She wants to learn.
This educational focus is both the book’s greatest strength and its greatest challenge. The sheer volume of information is impressive. Historical timelines, political developments, UNESCO designations, military campaigns, economic indicators, and cultural observations are found in nearly every chapter. There is much for those interested in history and international affairs to enjoy. However, the density of information can occasionally overwhelm the narrative. Some sections resemble a reference work more than a memoir, and yet the personal anecdotes are sometimes overshadowed by background research.
When McIlwain allows her own experiences to take center stage, the book becomes particularly engaging. Her humor, enthusiasm, and genuine fascination with the world shine. Whether discussing a local bus ride in Jamaica or exploring archaeological treasures in Egypt, she conveys a sense of wonder that remains infectious.
Throughout both volumes, her larger purpose is clear. McIlwain is not merely chronicling journeys; she is attempting to understand how places, peoples, histories, and ideas connect across the globe. Whether you agree with all of her conclusions or not, it is difficult not to admire the intellectual energy behind her quest.
In Managing the Bucket List: The Journey Begins Volume II, McIlwain approaches travel with the mindset of a scholar, the curiosity of a lifelong learner, and the enthusiasm of someone continually discovering new corners of the world. The result is a book for those who agree, like me, that travel is education.
The post The Journey Begins (Managing the Bucket List 2) by Jolene McIlwain, PHD appeared first on Independent Book Review.