What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding

What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding is a memoir by television writer Kristin Newman chronicling her international travels and adventures during her thirties. As her friends settled into marriage and motherhood, Newman chose a different path focused on exploration and romance abroad. The narrative follows Newman's journeys across multiple continents, from Argentina to Iceland to New Zealand, as she balances her career writing for television shows in Los Angeles with extended trips to far-flung destinations. During these travels, she encounters various cultures and forms connections with locals and fellow travelers. Through her experiences across dozens of countries, Newman develops a distinct travel philosophy and approach to living that contrasts with traditional expectations for women in their thirties. Her professional life in Hollywood serves as an anchor point between her international adventures. The memoir examines themes of choosing an unconventional life path, finding self-fulfillment outside societal norms, and navigating the balance between independence and connection. The writing brings humor to serious questions about how women can define success and happiness on their own terms.

Readers appreciate Newman's honest, humorous writing style and her adventures as a solo female traveler. Many connect with her perspective on choosing a non-traditional path instead of following societal pressure to marry and have children. Multiple reviews mention the book feels like advice from a fun older sister. Negative reviews focus on Newman's privilege, noting her TV writer salary enables her extensive travel. Some readers found her sexual encounters repetitive and her tone self-absorbed. Several reviews mention discomfort with her romanticizing of affairs with local men. Average ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (19,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (1,000+ ratings) "Reading this made me feel less alone in my choice to prioritize travel over settling down" - Goodreads reviewer "Too much focus on her hookups, not enough about the places themselves" - Amazon reviewer "Her privilege shows through but her experiences are still relatable" - BookBrowse reviewer

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🌎 Kristin Newman was a television writer for shows like "That '70s Show," "Chuck," and "How I Met Your Mother" during the periods between her international adventures chronicled in the book. ✈️ The memoir covers a decade of Newman's globetrotting experiences across multiple continents, including passionate romances in Argentina, Iceland, Brazil, and Russia. 💑 The book's title refers to Newman's choice to pursue travel and adventure throughout her 30s while many of her friends were settling down, getting married, and having children. 📝 Before becoming a travel memoir, the material started as a series of emails Newman would send to friends and family detailing her international escapades. 🎭 Newman developed an alter ego she called "Kristin-Adjacent" for her travels - a more spontaneous, adventurous version of herself who said "yes" to experiences her everyday self might decline.