Miami Stretch

Book excerpt: Nigel Leader never imagined in his wildest dreams that when he headed from snowy New York to sunny Florida to pursue a career in aviation he would one day become a professional chauffeur. But as Nigel ultimately discovered, sometimes life gets in the way of even the best-laid plans. Beginning with his birth in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Nigel chronicles his life experiences as a child living on a Caribbean island, as a teenager in Queens, and eventually as a young man who strived to fulfill his goals. As life and work led him from city to city, Nigel shares an honest look into his varied personal and professional experiences, his disappointments and joys, his spiritual walk, and the circumstances that caused his eventual career detour to becoming a limousine driver in South Beach, Florida. While detailing his encounters with musicians, celebrities, executives, athletes, criminal elements, and regular folks, Nigel offers an interesting perspective on wealth, privilege, and life in Florida from his point of view and that of his varied clientele. In this colorful memoir, a professional limo driver narrates the first part of his fascinating life story as he journeys from Trinidad to New York and ultimately South Florida where he seeks bold, new adventures.