There are plenty of reasons to love actor Matthew McConaughey's memoir Greenlights, which debuted in the fall. For starters, I'm listening to the audiobook and he's flat-out the most entertaining reader I've ever heard.

When he arrives at the chapter in which he describes his years as a full-time RV traveler, well, I just couldn't believe it. I'd never heard of a movie star in the prime of their career taking this kind of detour. 

In the section called The Art of Running Downhill, he describes his search for his truth after becoming disillusioned with the trappings of fame. This was in the late 1990s and the vision quest included three years in a 28-foot Airstream, "carving trails from Manitoba to Guatemala, hitting 48 of the 49 states you could reach by land." He boondocks and hangs out at parks because he loves how the RV crowd minds its own business. He loves the freedom of the road and all the people he meets.

This is just a small section of the sprawling story, which is part self-help guide, part amusing family history, part inside baseball, Hollywood-style. All of it adds up to a truly enjoyable tale. I'm rooting for a follow-up with more anecdotes from the road. Greenlights is definitely worth checking out, whether you're an RV enthusiast or a curious reader. 

---

---