“Who gives everyone else the authority to decide what your life is supposed to look like?”

Go behind Chapter One of No Mud, No Lotus: “Permission.” Discover the real story behind the three-signature pencil that pushed Darren to quit his job, sell nearly everything he owned, and buy a one-way ticket to Bangkok. Then step into 2004 travel before smartphones, meet the stranger who helped him find Khao San Road, and explore what Darren understands now about the difference between leaving and actually being free.

“What happens when the place that's supposed to feel like home doesn't anymore — and it's not the place's fault?”

Go behind Chapter Seven of No Mud, No Lotus: “Monday Mornings.” Discover what it was like to return to Hollywood after six months in Southeast Asia and try to fit a changed version of yourself back into a life that had kept moving without you. Then explore the cereal aisle, the impossible two-sentence answer to “How was your trip?”, and the career decision that eventually forced Darren to ask whether he was chasing a career or just a payout.