Name: From an Island to an Island: Buddy Slowly Finds His Way
Author: Josh Wong
ISBN: 978-1-0680076-0-6

      From
      an Island
      To
      an Island
    

Buddy Slowly Finds His Way

Available on Amazon

A third-culture kid's dialogues with self and others on identity, belonging, and the way forward.

Josh Wong · with contributor Ivan Okello

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The question that started it

Do you know the way?

Harbour view of St. John's, Newfoundland

St. John's, Newfoundland — where the question started

What began as a lighthearted joke between friends eventually became a much deeper question: do we actually know "the way" in our lives?

Is it the path others expect us to follow — attending university, building a career, finding a partner, buying a home, and settling into a life that appears certain?

During a sabbatical year in Taiwan, Josh (Buddy) reflects on identity, belonging, faith, grief, and the search for "the way" — through conversations with friends, fellow travellers, and those who call Taiwan home.

Part travel memoir, part dialogue, it follows a third-culture kid's search for meaning, belonging, and a sense of home. Will he find "the way" by the end of his sabbatical?

An excerpt from the book

Chapter One — "Do you know the way?"

This happens to be one of the inside jokes between Ivan Okello and me since the summer of 2018 in Blomidon, Nova Scotia. At that time, Ivan had been in Canada for about a year, while I had also recently moved from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia. During that period, a meme — the Ugandan Knuckles meme — was going viral online, with the phrase "Do you know de wae?" I can't quite remember who started the joke between us, but we both found it funny and often repeated it to each other.

Although it was a light-hearted joke, the question lingered: do we actually know "the way" in our lives? What is "the way," anyway? Is it the path that others expect us to follow — getting into a good university, securing a stable job, finding a partner, buying a home, and raising children? Is that "the way"? Or are there other paths we can take?

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Will I find "the way" by the end of this sabbatical? Probably not.

But at least I tried.

— from the opening chapter Preorder to read the rest

About the voices behind the book

Josh Wong

Author

A Canadian third-culture kid and polyglot with ties in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Hong Kong. In 2025, Josh went on a gap year to reflect on identity, belonging, and the way. He enjoys "having a time" at a kitchen party with Newfoundland music, and getting happily lost in a Taipei night market with friends and food. This is his first book.

Featured on CBC News: "What Sharing Our Cultures means to these six people who were touched by program" ↗

Ivan Okello

Contributor

Ivan grew up in Uganda before relocating to Atlantic Canada, completing his education at Makerere University and Dalhousie University. A longtime friend of Josh, Ivan enjoys travelling, meeting people from different cultures, and thoughtful conversation. He hosts the podcast Dear Lads, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Hear more from us

Josh & Ivan on Dear Lads

A bonus episode of Ivan's podcast where the two of us talk about how we met, and building a friendship across changing addresses, careers, and identities.

Out Now

Order now, or get in touch.

"From an Island to an Island: Buddy Slowly Finds His Way" released September 4, 2026 as an ebook and physical copy in Canada. Order now, or reach Josh directly.