The Del Mar to Rancho Santa Fe corridor plays a starring role in a recently published memoir, “Train Wreck: Love and Deceit among the California Elite.” In the book, first-time author and former Encinitas resident Richard Phelps tells us about his dating experiences as a divorced and divorced father of three.
The memoir dives into the North County lifestyle, targeting the 40- to 60-something demographic, as Phelps details the confusing search for a mate as an adult: “What’s reasonable or completely insane, and what’s honest, deceptive, or even deceptive , everything. become blurred in the modern dating world,” Phelps writes.
Richard Phelps
(Copyright by Richard Phelps)
Published through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, the book highlights the “bizarre” behavior of suddenly single adults and takes a humorous look at local spots such as the social dining area at Flower Hill’s Cucina Enoteca and the Del Mar Racetrack . Names have been changed to protect the innocent, or in some cases, the not-so-innocent.
“It’s been an interesting transition from the corporate world, but well worth it,” said Phelps, who had a long career in telecommunications and now runs Language & Luxury, an immersion language learning program that doubles as a luxury vacation.
Phelps began writing the book with a fictional character named Chad Duncan, whose life closely mirrored his own. After being advised by an editor that she should turn the work into a memoir, the true stories began to pour out.
“I put a lot of effort and time into writing about my relationships,” Phelps said. “I’ve poured a lot of personal stuff in there and I’ve addressed those elements as I’ve matured and evolved … I’ve always been kind of an open book, no regrets.”
Even before writing the book, Phelps launched his new business Language & Luxury, drawing on his own experiences working and living internationally and his love of learning new languages since high school. His company offers “ridiculously awesome” tours for savvy travelers looking to improve their language skills. Language & Luxury currently offers customized tours in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Colombia and Israel, with plans to expand to Taiwan and Japan soon.
“The post-COVID travel boom has been great, and the company is growing quickly,” Phelps said.
For more, visit languageandluxury.com. The book can be found at richardphelps.com or on Amazon.