No, I Won’t Buy You a Drink! is a true story of travel, illness, friendship and human connection, written through the lens of Ricardo, a young Australian who leaves home at nineteen to discover the world.
Set largely in the face to face world of the 1990s, Ricardo’s journey takes him through Australia, Europe, the UK, North America and the Bahamas. Along the way there is rugby, friendship, recurring pancreatitis, Atlantic and Mediterranean sailing, unexpected opportunities and the many encounters that come with travelling without knowing exactly where the journey will lead.
This was a time before smartphones and social media, when travelling meant maps, guidebooks, public telephones and asking people for directions. Plans could change quickly, opportunities could appear unexpectedly and sometimes the only way to find out what happened next was to ask someone.
Ricardo also experienced the world with restricted hearing. From childhood, he had learned that he could not always rely on hearing everything that was said, so he became more attentive to expressions, body language, pauses and the things people did. That way of experiencing the world became part of how he travelled and interacted with the people he met.
The journey brings experiences that range from the ordinary to the unexpected. There are friendships formed far from home, the social world of rugby, periods of illness, unfamiliar places, difficult decisions and moments of uncertainty. There are also the people who appear briefly but leave an impression that lasts much longer than the encounter itself.
Sailing adds another dimension to the journey, with experiences in the Mediterranean and Atlantic bringing new places, new people and situations that could never have been completely planned.
But the journey is not simply about where Ricardo goes.
Looking back, the memories that remain strongest are often the moments involving other people. A conversation, an unexpected kindness, a friendship or a small interaction that seemed insignificant at the time can become something that stays with you for years.
That is what makes this more than a conventional travel memoir. The destinations provide the backdrop, but the people Ricardo meets become the story.
It is also a glimpse into a very different way of travelling. In the 1990s, discovering somewhere new often meant talking to someone who lived there. Finding your way could mean asking a stranger. There was uncertainty, but that uncertainty also created opportunities to discover things that could never have been found by simply following a screen.
No, I Won’t Buy You a Drink! is not a story about overcoming disability or simply seeing the world. It is about noticing people, asking questions, taking chances and discovering what can happen when you remain curious about the unknown.
The journey may have taken Ricardo a long way from home, but the things that stayed with him were often much closer to home than he realised.
The places were the backdrop. The people became the story.
Travel, Memoir, 1990s, Human Connection, Human Behaviour, Australian Author, Friendship, Male Identity, Authenticity, Curiosity, Hearing Loss, Rugby, Adventure, Personal Growth, Self-discovery, Pre-Smartphone Life, Social Connection, Reading, Non-Readers
About The Author
D.J. Gifford is an Australian author from Brisbane and the author of No, I Won’t Buy You a Drink!, his first memoir.
His writing has been shaped by a life of travel, curiosity and an unusual way of experiencing the world. After leaving Australia at nineteen, he spent years travelling through Australia, Europe, the UK, North America and the Bahamas, with experiences including rugby, Atlantic and Mediterranean sailing, friendship and recurring pancreatitis.
D.J. has lived with restricted hearing since childhood. Over time, he became particularly attentive to the expressions, body language and actions of the people around him. That perspective eventually became an important part of the way he remembered and wrote about his life.
His memoir is not simply about the places he visited. It explores the people he encountered and the small moments that can quietly influence a life.
Since publishing the book, D.J. has continued exploring ideas that emerged from his experiences, including Socialising Equality, the Bumachunski Challenge, Fakaging and Five Seasons in One Life. His writing focuses on curiosity, authenticity, human connection and the things we can overlook when we stop paying attention to the people around us.
D.J. continues to write, develop these ideas and look for ways to encourage greater curiosity about the world and the people in it.
