Some of the books that have given me the most insight to places we will be traveling are not traveling “how-to” books (previous post on June 25) but rather stories about the author’s traveling adventures. I like these books because they read like a story so I get interested in what the author is doing but I also learn about people and places. The two books below are among the best of this type I have read.

Grounded by Seth Stevenson

In this book, Seth and his girlfriend Rebecca are dissatisfied with their life and decide to quit their jobs and take an around the world trip using ground transportation only. They started by taking a freighter from Philadelphia to Europe. They used ships, planes, trains, automobiles and bikes to make their way around the world. Seth’s descriptions of the modes of transportation and the people they meet are very entertaining. He often portrayed their journey as tedious with foul conditions and annoying fellow passengers. Yet, it still had me thinking, “I want to go there and do that”. This is far from a travel “how-to” book but it may give you some ideas about where you want to or don’t want to travel.

The Good Girls’ Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman

After college Rachel was unsure of what to do and this book is about the next phase of her life living and traveling in Ireland, Australia and South America. She has always been the good girl who does well in school and plays it safe so she surprises herself and her family when she buys a plane ticket and takes off for Ireland. She makes friends with Carly who is as free-spirited as Rachel is conventional. Rachel formed an unlikely bond with the free-spirited Australian girl and she fills her life with newfound friends and finds a previously unrealized passion for adventure. As her journey takes her to Australia and South America, Rachel discovers and embraces her love of travel and unlocks more truths about herself than she ever realized she was seeking. Along the way, this “good girl” finally learns to do something she’s never done before: simply live for the moment. Through Rachel’s travels we get an interesting view of the countries she travels through.

Both of these books gave me ideas for our trip and a further desire to get going as soon as possible.