By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
For some traveling is a hassle. Nancy Solak is one of those individuals.
“I’d rather stay at home, I’m a homebody,” said Solak. “I’ve never had dreams of going to China.”
Solak’s apprehension to a journey to the Far East has prompted some intriguing stories.
At 7 p.m., Sept. 27, the Brandon Township Public Library, 304 South St. will host Solak who will provide some insight to her book ‘Welcome to Here: a Reluctant Traveler goes to China.’
“One of our sons went in 2001, and we went to visit him when he was a student there,” said Solak.

“The second trip was two years later, he had married a woman from China and we went back for the wedding. It’s part of the presentation, you get to see a Chinese wedding.”
Solak returned to China in 2010, while her son was visiting China again as a teacher. Solak and her husband had the opportunity to teach middle school aged students English.
“Here I am, I don’t want to travel, I’ve gone to China three times,” she said. “I have a lot of anxiety, and if anyone is interested in talking about that, I’m more than happy to.”
Solak has previously written a book about her and her husband living in Italy for a year, which she said was a bit easier on her.
“In the slide presentation, I actually show pictures that were caught of me eating,” said Solak. “The look on my face is one of total puzzlement.”
The presentation is broken up into four parts, and covers more than just her book.
“There’s a cultural part that’s not so much in the book,” she said. “The second part is about the food, the third part is about the wedding, and the fourth part is briefly about the exchange program.”
Solak will have her book for sale at the presentation. To register go to brandonlibrary.com or call 248-627-1462.