Okay, so you’re in the mood for a trip. You’ve got your pen and paper out, you’re planning the days and weeks ahead, and you’re ready to go! The only problem is that you don’t know where to start. Personally, I love taking long road trips—but if I don’t have a destination or any plans laid out in front of me, I’m often at a loss as to where we should go. So what can you do? How about reading some travel books first? That way you’ll have plenty of ideas for your next adventure:
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
If you’re planning to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, then this book is worth reading. It’s about a woman who hikes the Pacific Crest Trail and loses her way. She finds herself again through the help of her friends and family. The author writes with great detail about what it was like to hike that trail, which makes it easy for anyone who hasn’t done so themselves to picture what it would be like if they were out there on their own adventure.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah. Published in 2007, this memoir is the account of a young boy who grew up in Sierra Leone and then became a child soldier during its civil war. It won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Into the Wild
Into the Wild is a nonfiction account of Chris McCandless, a young man who died in Alaska. The book covers his journey from his childhood to his death, and it draws on interviews with family members, friends and acquaintances as well as journal entries written by McCandless himself.
The author, Jon Krakauer, also wrote Into Thin Air about another tragic adventure story: an Everest expedition gone wrong. In this case though he was not involved directly so he was able to look at everything objectively–which makes for some fascinating reading!
Eat, Pray, Love
You’ve probably seen the movie, but the book is even better. Elizabeth Gilbert chronicles her journey of self-discovery after a divorce and learning to love herself again. She travels around Italy, India and Bali — three places that are known for their vibrant cultures and delicious food — as she comes to terms with her life choices and experiences new things along the way.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a book about a trip to Las Vegas. It’s written by Hunter S. Thompson, who was also the author of Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 and Hells Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga. In this book, he describes his experiences in Las Vegas with his attorney as they try to cover some sort of motorcycle race for Sports Illustrated magazine.
This book has an interesting style because it uses lots of italics and CAPITALIZED WORDS AND EXCLAMATION POINTS!
No More Secrets: Living an Authentic Life
In this book, the author tells his story of how he found himself and how you can do the same. It’s an inspiring story that will help you find your authentic self as well.
The best part about this book is its practical advice on how to live more authentically in your everyday life. There are exercises at the end of each chapter so that you can put what you’ve learned into action immediately!
If you’re planning a trip, consider reading one of these books before you go.
If you’re planning a trip, consider reading one of these books before you go. Traveling is often about experiencing new things and cultures that are different from what we are used to at home. Reading travel books can help give you an idea of what to expect in the places you are visiting and also provide insight into the people who live there.
Reading about other places and cultures will help give context for your experience when traveling abroad; it allows us as readers to see how others live their lives differently from our own–and sometimes even better than we do!
Conclusion
We hope this list has inspired you to read one of these books for your next trip. If you have any other recommendations for great travel reads, please leave them in the comments section below!
