Couple chronicles decade-long journey

Shahla and Peter Nygaard spent a decade on the road, a road which took them literally around the world.

“With a thirst for adventure and an irrepressible curiosity, we set out on a world tour that would take us to the brink of death, the pinnacle of health and vigour and everywhere in between. This is a story of courage in the face of fear, love in times of adversity and the struggle to endure,” details the couple’s website dedicated to their new book Decade of Discovery.

“In the book we’ve attempted to portray the reality of life on the road for ten years. In this portrayal, we’ve clung to timeless truths that were continually reaffirmed to us throughout the journey. We hope that in doing so we’ve created a way for the reader to relate to how we felt while we were out there and how we feel now. We tried to reflect in our words the changes we underwent during the course of the voyage and we hope this is evident through the procession of the pages. In the end, we’ve produced a work that we are profoundly proud of and are indeed pointedly pleased to present you with the opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy our Decade of Discovery.”

The couple, who will be at the Yorkton Public Library Sept. 6 at 7 p.m., have a varied background. Shahla was born in London, England.  She lived in Edmonton until she was six, then moved to Islamabad, Pakistan until the age of 13, after which she moved back to Edmonton.

Peter was born in Fort McMurray and grew up in the forest south of Joussard, AB.  He moved to Edmonton for college when he was 19.

Shahla is a University graduate with a degree in languages.

Peter is a journeyman plumber and gasfitter.

Not a lot about their backgrounds shouted author, but they took the plunge realizing they had a story they wished to share.

“Although we’ve written several short pieces for our travel website and filled numerous diaries during the course of our journey, neither of us have formal training as writers. While writing the book we delved deep into the memory banks and textbooks from our college/uni (versity) days,” the couple told Yorkton This Week via email.

They added the book was just a must to write.

“We felt obligated and excited to write the book after completing the journey because we realized it could provide inspiration for others to accomplish their goals and live their dreams.

“Aside from a small number of crudely sewn together books we sold in the United States to provide us with money for food while on our voyage, this is our first book.”

Writing as a couple came rather naturally to the duo, with each contributing to almost every part of the story.

“We were together for the writing process from beginning to end, with one of us usually ending the sentence that the other had begun,” they wrote.

The book covers a significant timeframe, so there was the challenge of narrowing down what to include.

“It was not an easy task to decide which anecdotes to include,” they wrote. “We started with a broad outline which included a theme for each chapter. From those themes we were able to narrow the choices down considerably but spent more than a few days defending and criticizing contenders.”

For a pair of obvious wanderers the process of writing also proved a challenge.

“The most challenging aspect of writing the book was having to sit in front of a computer for hours every day after having been on a bicycle, outside, for years prior,” they said.

So once written what did the couple think was the best aspect of the book?

“One of the most important things the reader will discover is how two people became aware of their connection to everyone and everything,” they said, adding “we’re more than satisfied with the book we’ve written. We believe it has the power to educate, inspire and entertain.”

The book will be one which will stand alone as circumstances have changed making a second book highly unlikely.

“The book is independently funded and was completed before we became a family of four,” they said. “We just don’t have the resources to devote the time needed to write and publish another book. Well, maybe if someone reading this article has a writing contract written up…”

You can learn more about the book at www.decadeofdiscovery.ca