My love for travel has always been driven by a need for adventure—a desire to push boundaries and experience the world in its rawest forms. Whether it’s hiking through jungles alongside monkeys, pulling alligators from swamps to administer medicine, handling rattlesnakes in a venomous snake handling class, or swimming near sharks, I’ve always sought out experiences that get my adrenaline pumping. Living on the edge gives me a sense of vitality that I find hard to replicate in everyday life.
But my journey didn’t stop with these thrilling adventures. I soon found myself drawn to something different—something that spoke not just to my love of adventure, but to my deeper need for reflection and understanding. That’s when I discovered dark tourism.
Dark tourism, the exploration of sites associated with tragedy and death, became a way for me to process my own life’s challenges—my divorce, my battle with illness, and my liver transplant. These were not just physical journeys, but deeply emotional ones, helping me to confront my past and find meaning in the most difficult parts of my life.
As a father, I also wanted to instill this sense of exploration and understanding in my son. I believe that immersing oneself in places where history has unfolded offers an education far beyond what any classroom can provide. Whether it was taking him to Hollywood when he dreamed of being a movie director or visiting Washington, D.C., when he became interested in politics, our trips were designed to expand his knowledge and worldview. Today, he’s running for mayor—a testament to the power of these experiences.
This belief in the transformative power of place is what inspired me to write Walks Through Hell. As a therapist, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for people to confront their struggles head-on. Visiting dark tourism sites, much like facing one’s personal challenges, provides an opportunity for deep reflection and growth. It’s about more than just seeing the sites; it’s about understanding the stories they hold and how they can shape our lives.
In my work as a therapist, I help people navigate their darkest moments, guiding them towards healing and resilience. Writing this book allowed me to extend that work beyond the therapy room, offering readers a chance to explore their own lives through the lens of history’s most tragic events.
Walks Through Hell is not just a travelogue—it’s an invitation to look deeper, to find the lessons in the darkest of places, and to emerge stronger on the other side. Whether you’re drawn to dark tourism out of curiosity, a love of history, or a desire for personal growth, I believe this book has something to offer. It’s about finding meaning in the places where things happened, and how those stories can shape who we are today.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. Together, we’ll explore not just the world’s dark corners, but the light that can be found within them.
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