"Honeymoon Hobos"

Janice Shefelman is the author of a new book, Honeymoon Hobos, reflections of the yearlong honeymoon she and her husband Tom took in the mid-1950's. In Janice's words, "A journey around the world that once was." She is the author of many award-winning children's books, but this is her first book for adults.

Janice writing her initial words by hand

I had never met Janice or Tom, but had seen them frequently at the local coffee shop. When their book came out, someone suggested that they would make interesting subjects for my blog. I took the bait.

Book People hosted the launching of the Shefelman's new book, which also coincided with their anniversary.  The book signing was followed by cake and champagne. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The couple met while on a ski trip with college friends, and soon discovered that they both shared a passion for exploring the world. After a traditional wedding at Perkins Chapel on the SMU campus, and despite a good deal of trepidation on the parts of their families; they postponed careers and booked passage on a freighter headed for Japan. Tom, a young and gifted architect, was keen on studying Japanese architecture firsthand. As they traveled, he drew sketches of the people and places they visited. These sketches illuminate Janice's words, capturing moments that might otherwise have faded over the years.

Tom is both an architect and an artist

Japan was only the first of many ports-of-call. Remember, this was the 1950's, just a few years after WWII. A typical honeymoon then might have been spent in Jamaica, but these two adventurous souls were anything but typical. 
They traveled without making prior reservations, and would arrive in a town hoping to find a place to land for a night or two. Being unemployed newlyweds, their budget was very modest and they often stayed with locals or even a Buddhist monastery along the way. It was a great way to immerse themselves in the culture that surrounded them.  


I can say this, after all these years, they still are partners in life, love, and hopefully will soon be collaborating on another book.  Inspiring!


To find out more about Janice and Tom go to: www.Shefelmanbooks.com