• 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World

  • By: Polly Letofsky
  • Narrated by: Polly Letofsky
  • Length: 14 hrs
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (47 ratings)

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3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World  By  cover art

3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World

By: Polly Letofsky
Narrated by: Polly Letofsky
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Publisher's summary

Polly Letofsky left her Colorado home and headed west across four continents and over 14,000 miles - by foot - to become the first woman to walk around the world. In a spirit of adventure, along with the goal of raising global awareness for breast cancer, strangers welcomed her into their homes. The world had embraced her. But in the middle of Polly's journey, 9/11 flung us all into a crossroads in world history, and she found herself navigating a vastly changing world.

©2011 Polly Letofsky (P)2014 Polly Letofsky

What listeners say about 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World

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  • Overall
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A great adventure!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! This book has so many elements. Up and personal with cultures we know little about from Polly's firsthand experiences as a woman walking through countries like India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Turkey as a woman talking about breast health! She has a way of meeting "trail angels" (a term I took from hiking narratives) all over the world. She is a great story teller and I enjoyed every minute of it.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the detail that Polly went in to and the characters she met along the way. It was fantastically entertaining. At times I almost felt like I was walking along side her. I got scared for her when she was all alone in foreign countries that she didn't understand the culture. I loved her resilience but mostly her ability to tell a story made this book so much fun.

What does Polly Letofsky bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Polly seems to relieve some of her experiences bringing real emotion as she recounts the characters and her experiences. We feel her pain, disappointment, anxiety and also her excitement, sense of adventure and her successes. Polly had to read this book. No narrator could have done it justice.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sure, at times I laughed and times I cried. When she talked about the woman she hired to run her foundation and how that took a bad turn I felt very sad and angry too. Several times I laughed out loud too, which is funny as I listened while I ran. Here I am laughing out loud as I'm running. I'm sure some of the people walking by though I'd lost it.

Any additional comments?

This was by far one of my favorite books. I am so glad I found it but I felt like it was a hidden gem. It didn't come up on any of my recommendations and I had to search kind of deep on the biographies and memoirs. I hope others will find this book took. It was just what I was searching for. Polly is a character herself and you feel you get to know her. Now, at times she gets a little excited and initially sounds over the top. Then you realize the incident she is recounting warrants such a reaction such as a flying cow! I got used to it before too long and then enjoyed the pure emotion she brought to her story telling. She is one of the best writers when it comes to describing her surroundings and the characters she meets. You feel as if you are there. You don't have to be an adventurer like Polly to enjoy this book, the book is rich with different characters including Polly herself. I highly recommend this book to all!

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What a story & What a storyteller!!

What made the experience of listening to 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World the most enjoyable?

Polly was a keynote speaker at a conference I attended. That's where I was enchanted by her story of walking around the world. I laughed out loud while reading the book; but to listen to Polly tell her own adventure was pure magic!!

Any additional comments?

I am a big fan of Polly's and recommend her audio book to anyone with a sense of adventure and a love of a great tale!

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Amazing story! Like taking a vacation!

Polly's trek around the world is funny, insightful, and heart warming! She gives you a true glimpse into the different cultures, traditions and food all while teaching perseverance and patience and the importance of a good support system and a sense of humor!

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Highly recommend!

Bravo Polly! What a great story! I listened to it on my own ( lame by comparison) walks and enjoyed every step.

I “ met” the author at a zoom meeting at a local writers club. I was intrigued by her story and glad I followed up with a listen. As a world traveler in my former life, I delighted at her mimicking the locals and sticking her foot in her mouth. I could relate to much of it and her spirit and sense of humor came through on every page. A walk around the world in 5 years is a tremendous feat. She did it with much grace.

I highly recommend this delightful, offbeat book. The audio is narrated by Polly herself and she does a great job. Thank you, Polly It was a lot of fun!

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So much fun to listen to while I "walk along"!

If you could sum up 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World in three words, what would they be?

Inspiring, adventure, connections

Who was your favorite character and why?

Polly herself! I love the detailed descriptions of the people she met and experiences she had - especially with local foods and customs.

What does Polly Letofsky bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I did read the book and loved it. But hearing Polly tell her story adds so much more color and fun to it. Listening to the book was like hanging out with Polly and listening to her in person.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

It had nothing to do with the shoes.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended!

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Very entertaining

Entertaining, inspirational and thought provoking. We listened to Polly read her story to us traveling by car.

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A very human travel memoir

Would you consider the audio edition of 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but I thought listening to Polly's story in her own voice (and her takes on the world's accents) enhanced the experience.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed getting to know humanity as a central character...not just cultural differences like whether to take off your shoes at the door but the physical and psychological experience of being a woman immersed in and traveling through humanity every day.

Which scene was your favorite?

I listened while getting ready for work, and every day there was a scene that made me laugh out loud or well up with emotion. A favorite scene was the coming home to Colorado. Imagine reaching a hilltop after five years and finally seeing home.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The letter Polly wrote and had translated to her right-hand-man Thai crew support was beautiful and made me think of the many good friends I've relied upon in my own travels and then had to say good bye to.

Any additional comments?

Be prepared to break out your walking shoes after reading this book. You may not make it around the world, but it does inspire you to see the world at a slower pace.

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Priceless perspective on people and places

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

So few of us will travel even internationally, let alone around the world. Polly's travel tales -- hilarious, unsettling, encouraging, alarming, poignant -- bring you right into her sight line, as if you are experiencing the world with her.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World?

In Bangkok, "People stared at me. They stared so hard it looked painful, eyes so wide as to see the whites all the way around..." as boys on bikes and others around her crashed into things, their heads turned toward Polly.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Upon the final stretch, final dozen miles into Vail, Polly replies to one reporter's question, "What sort of characteristics does it take to walk around the world?"

Any additional comments?

3mph is the world tour you won't otherwise experience, up close and personal, through the eyes and experiences of pint-sized Polly-esque perseverance. Letofsky's true travel tales will make you laugh, make you angry, outraged, wonder at the nooks and crannies of the world, and sometimes even cry with joy as you feel you are celebrating Polly's accomplishments WITH her. A must-read for anyone who dreams of, intends to, or won't ever travel around the world.

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If you have wanderlust, listen to this book

I heard Polly speak about 10 years ago and never read (“listened”) to her book until now. It is so funny and real that any true traveler will connect with her adventures. The audible version makes it so fun to hear her actually voice describe the stories. If you are global minded and want a laugh, this book is it!

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Wow ...What an amazing woman

Polly is one strong and courageous woman. Her journey was not an easy one but she put one foot in front of the other to accomplish her dream of walking around the world and raising awareness for breast cancer. The book is fantastic and I enjoyed ever minute of it and would highly recommend it to others.

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