Seven years after retiring from a successful teaching career, Yvonne Schmitz was back in a Sherrelwood Elementary classroom teaching students a new lesson.

 

“Be brave and go for it,” she told them as she shared pictures and her story of renting her house for five months and using the money to visit 17 different islands in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. She traveled by herself and importantly wrote it all down.

 

Her journey resulted in a book, “Island Buffet- Creative Travel on a Limited Budget” which she self-published and can be purchased online. The book blurb says it all.

 

 

After talking to students at Sherrelwood, including relatives of some of her former students, Schmitz sat down in the school library to talk about the project. It combines two of her passions, travel and writing.

 

She said the book is geared toward adult readers who might want to take on a similar adventure. It includes a section on dos and don’ts of world travel; things like passports, visas, food, and luggage.

 

As for the students, her presentation produces raised eyes, “oohs and ahhs” and plenty of questions. She shares breathtaking pictures of wildlife, exotic locations, and cultures that most of us only dream about.

 

Her message about “being brave” is rooted in specific examples like sitting in a hammock above a deep canyon or swimming with sharks.

 

Her second message to students. “Write your experiences down. Everyone can be an author.”