College
graduates
choose travel
and life
experience over
entering the
rat race.
n The Ro ad
THE DETRO I T J E WISH NEWS
Josh Pearlman hiked his way through Nepal.
4.
osh Pearlman never
imagined sporting a suit
and tie for a 9-to-5 job
after graduating from
Eastern Michigan Uni-
versity in the spring of
1992.
So far, he still hasn't.
Rather than cranking
out resumes and cover
letters, smiling politely
and mastering a firm
handshake, Mr. Pearl-
man has been traveling.
Many college gradu-
ates are realizing they
either cannot secure a
job in their field or don't
desire to do so. Some,
like Mr. Pearlman, fear
becoming trapped in a
workaholic, money-ori-
LESLEY PEARL
ented world, and are tak-
STAFF WRITER
_ .in g . a, . tip from Jack
.
Kerouac and going "on
the road" -- leaving the
job market for later.
Mr. Pearlman's travel-
ogue began in the sum-
mer of 1991. Between his
junior and senior years
at EMU, Mr. Pearlman
visited Israel and
Turkey. He returned to
school that fall, loaded
up on credits, saved
money and graduated.
The following September
he was flying into India.
"I had worked hard all
through high school and
college and saved money.
But I wasn't sure what
for," Mr. Pearlman said.
"The summer in Israel I
realized I had learned a
lot from traveling. I also
- learned a lot -about -the
.
Far East. So I started
investigating."
A geography course on
Asia and many visits
with the travel agent set
Mr. Pearlman on a six-
month trek alone
through India, Nepal,
Cambodia, Vietnam and
Laos. He stayed in hos-
tels, meeting with other
travelers along the way,
and lived comfortably on
about $6 a day.
Among Mr. Pearlman's
memories are climbing
an 18,000-foot peak,
walking through the
killing. fields • of
Cambodia and teaching
English informally to a
group of students in a
zoo in Saigon (Ho Chi
Minh-City). - • - - •
"I couldn't believe I
was in this city. I was so
focused on what took
place 20 years ago. But
when I got over that, I
was able to see the beau-
ty of this foreign country
and its people," Mr.
Pearlman said.
Mr. Pearlman returned
to the United States in
February and is working,
sans tie, as a business
manager for Camp
Tanuga. He plans to
return to Asia in the fall
to teach English.
"I've always been the
adventuresome type. I
never could sit still. I
was nervous. I was
scared. I got lost my first
night in New Delhi. I fell
-into-a sewer. You either