Altered States

My Surreal Journey Through Pandemia, 2021

By: Bruce W. Perry

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

In 2021, the itinerant writer took six long-distance trips, to Big Sky, Montana, St. Pete Beach, Florida, as well as various locations in Switzerland, during a year in which travel was otherwise restricted, curtailed, and people were induced, if not forced, to rein in their nomadic instincts.

"Altered States: My Surreal Journey Through Pandemia, 2021 by Bruce W. Perry is the story of one man's revelatory journey through a locked-down world.

"Leaving rural Vermont and embracing his nomadic nature, the author brings readers along his various trips to Switzerland, Montana, and Florida during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

"From deserted airports in America and a fearful atmosphere of terror to European anecdotes where the pandemic seems all but invisible, Perry's narration draws stark comparisons of experience during that recent collective crisis. A rare work of travel writing when travel was discouraged or impossible, Perry's philosophical musings about freedom and common sense seem practical and reasonable, given his unique lens into the crisis.

At times a work of anthropology, and others a righteous critique of seemingly unfair or nonsensical policies, Perry navigates a controversial topic with humor and honesty."~Self Publishing Review, 2024

The writer found 2021 to be a period of adventure, discovery, and liberation, for those who chose freedom over confinement and mandates. In observing Sweden, visiting Switzerland, as well as Montana and Florida, the writer discovered that health matters and approaches are cultural, and say more about the people and their leaders than the epidemiological vagaries of the pandemic itself.