This website is inspired by a blog post published Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 6:06 am. The entry is entitled Le Tour du Monde Avec 5 Dollars. In it, the author Leila Janah, sets the intention of translating a French travelogue published in 1954.

Written by two women, the book details their adventure hitchhiking around the world on $5 in 1948. One of the women, Christiane Zeebroek, was Leila's grandmother.

Leila Janah passed away on Friday, January 24, 2020. She was 37 years old. I did not know her but grieved her loss. I'm thankful for digital artifacts like Wordpress blogs, intangible like her courage & responsibility, but comforting nonetheless.

I can't explain why the news of a strangers death impacted me but I encourage you to learn about her life for yourself.

I hope to complete Leila's intention from 11 years ago and translate "Le Tour du Monde Avec 5 Dollars" here, page by page.

Leila notes she adopted her life motto from her grandmother — to "trust the world". Another intangible artifact. But one I hope we can better understand through this book.

Please share this project with anyone who may be interested in contributing.

Je ne parle pas Français & translations are a beautifully complicated thing.