Description of One Step Ahead

The highlight of Michael’s life each year is the hiking adventure he takes with his best friend Sebastian—that is, if he can call someone he sees only once a year and shares nothing in common, his best friend.  Michael is feeling a little boxed in.  He has a stale marriage, a daughter in college, a job he hates, and a mortgage.  He desperately wants to find something “pure” and he has decided that this year’s trip will be a spiritual adventure.   They will travel to Allahabad, India to attend the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the largest spiritual gathering in history.   Sebastian shares none of Michael’s concerns as he is still single, seemingly carefree, well off, and thinks this will be a great chance to party.

What starts off as a well-organized trip quickly unravels into a series of misadventures involving the unexpected appearance of Sebastian’s ex-flame, a mysterious Indian man, and a missed flight. As a result, they must abandon their plans to fly to India and are forced to travel from Europe to New Delhi by train.  Nothing goes as planned, including adventures in Paris, Budapest, Istanbul, and an unfortunate detour into Iran.  At each point along the way, Michael is forced to reconsider his notion of a spiritual experience.  Things go from bad to worse when they are robbed in New Delhi and find themselves walking to Allahabad.  Will they make it?  Michael’s external journey mirrors his internal one and he has a long way to go.