I Choose the MOON: My Journey from the Midwest to the Middle East

"There is no passion to be found playing small-in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." -Nelson Mandela

Jonea Mounsey grew up as a rural farm girl in Indiana, where her chores and family obligations competed with her heartfelt calling for adventure. Her loving husband turned controlling, and being obliged to work in a cramped office as his secretary could only go on for so long. Despite having four children she loved and needed to provide for, she could no longer tolerate their loveless marriage.

Mustering all the bravery she could, she left him behind and set out with abandon, kids in tow, toward a better, more aspiring life.

I Choose the Moon is her true story of perseverance, discovery, and a passion for helping others. She put her nursing degree to use in ways she never imagined, but the adrenaline-filled roles she took on weren't stimulating enough and she took another leap of faith. Jonea's next role would take her to the oil fields in Iraq, a rare woman in a world dominated by men.

Uncover how her ambition, determination, and gutsy decisions moved her from a lackluster existence in the Midwest to a no-excuses, no holds barred, life of effervescent adventure. From the peaks of the Himalayas to grueling long-distance races and backpacking in the Last Frontier to the harsh deserts of the Middle East, in I Choose the Moon Jonea must face adversaries more merciless than the landscapes she traversed.

Through it all, Jonea trusts her heart and chooses to follow the moon.

"I Choose the Moon is a story of adventure, passion and overcoming obstacles. Jonea's memoir often feels like a work of fiction, as it is astonishing that one person has crammed so much living into one life."

- Ryan Murphy