September 29, 2023—Saint Paul/Minneapolis, MN—Mike Day, founder and publisher of The Big Frame magazine, a former president of the GSCA, and longtime director of the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Omnitheater, spent four decades producing movies in IMAX®, the world’s largest film format—work that took him to extraordinary locations across the globe. Now Day adds a new title to his resume—author—as The World Has a Big Backyard, an unforgettable travel memoir, is out in print and e-book format.
The executive producer of more than a dozen documentary films for the giant screen, Day’s projects took audiences to faraway places that most viewers only dream of visiting. His career, which includes films like Ring of Fire, The Greatest Places, and Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees, inspired a deep appreciation for the transformative power of adventure travel.
In The World Has a Big Backyard, Day draws upon his experience as a storyteller to share his travel adventures to magnificent worldwide locations, including the tallest sand dunes in the world in Namibia, erupting Mount Sakurajima in Japan, and Jane Goodall's research site in Tanzania. He shares adventure travel stories from Iceland to Singapore, and takes readers chasing tornadoes, volcanoes, total eclipses, and $30/night motel rooms.
“I had the opportunity to bring stories to a giant screen that captured experiences few people ever have, and to bring audiences to places they would probably never have the chance to get to,” Day says. “The best part of the job was traveling to so many distant places, where I learned that travel helps us develop skills to address the uncertainty, unpredictability, and anxiety that come not just in traveling, but in everyday life.”
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Day’s stories focus not only on the unforgettable places, extraordinary history, and remarkable people he encountered, but also on the invaluable lessons about humanity he learned along the way. Through witty storytelling and keen observations, Day’s words deftly illustrate Anthony Bourdain’s assertion that “travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering into the unknown.”
“Travel pushes us outside of our comfort zones to witness the unfamiliar, explore the unknown, question our assumptions, and confront our anxieties,” Day says. “Seeing the world provides us the opportunity for authentic experiences that ignite the senses, spark wonder, and stretch our understanding of self.”
The World Has a Big Backyard is now in release by Wise Ink Creative Publishing in Minneapolis. It is available in print and e-book format on Amazon. For book excerpts, more information, or to contact author Mike Day, visit www.mikedaytravels.com.