You can never be alone when in the company of a good book.
Good books not only transport you to a completely different world, they also bring about a positive change in you and encourage you to achieve newer heights. For instance, motivational books from well-known writers can inspire you to follow your dreams and offer you the courage to do what you love, be it a hobby or a long-cherished aspiration like going around the world on an exploratory trip.
If you love traveling, books can prove extremely useful in inspiring you to pack your bags, and set out to an unexplored land. The characters, landscapes, cultures, and cuisines mentioned in these books can motivate you grab the map and set off on an adventurous trip.
Millions of books can ignite the spark for traveling in you; however, we’ve selected a few that deserve your complete attention owing to their ability to stir you into action. Here are five handpicked books that will inspire you to travel to far-off lands so that you can broaden your horizons and feel rejuvenated.
1. The Long Haul: A Trucker’s Tales of Life on the Road – By Finn Murphy
Published June 6th, 2017
The author of this adventure-based book, Finn Murphy, dropped out of college over thirty years ago and has been a long-haul driver of a 53-foot eighteen-wheel truck ever since. Throughout this book, he refers to his truck as Cassidy. This book is a lively account of the trucker’s life on an open road, where he covered more than a million miles in the U.S. transporting shipments from one end of the country to the other.
The book describes how the American transportation industry works and Finn shares painful, yet funny incidents related to his interactions with a variety of customers while he is on duty. The author has described the routine job of a mover through this entertaining book and the adventure stories shared herein will inspire you to get going on a fun-filled road trip.
2. All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft – By Geraldine DeRuiter
Published May 2nd, 2017
All Over the Place is a travel memoir of Geraldine DeRuiter, who is the author of a popular travel blog called Everywhereist. Geraldine wasn’t always an avid traveler; however, when she lost her job owning to failing job market, she spent several years traveling around the world to experience what it’s like to tour with her husband.
This book is quite unlike any other travel diary, as it does not merely talk about her journey around the world, but speaks of her own internal journey through brain cancer, relationship issues with her husband, and the hilarious dealings with her mother.
Geraldine manages to cover numerous destinations while narrating side-splitting stories about the time she spent at each of the places she visits. This book will persuade you to include a few of the mentioned places in your travel list.
3. The Tao of Travel – By Paul Theroux
Published May 19th, 2011
If you are looking for a multifaceted book in which travel experiences, inspiration, and wisdom are intricately interwoven, you can count on The Tao of Travel. Paul Theroux is a passionate travel writer who is best known for the marathon train journey he embarked on in 1972 from Great Britain to the far east of Japan and back. This book is the product of his fifty years of passionate globe-trotting.
The author’s adventurous life and the essence of his travel experiences culminate into this philosophical travel guide. Paul has shared pieces of writing from other travelers that shaped him as a reader and a writer. The Tao of Travel is a compilation of the author’s favorite travel quotes – a few of which are his own and others from famous travel writers like Henry David Thoreau and Ernest Hemingway. So, the next time you are looking for a little travel inspiration, read this book!
4. Eat, Pray, Love – By Elizabeth Gilbert
Published February 16th, 2006
Ever since it was published, the book Eat, Pray, Love has sold millions of copies and had also been translated into various other languages owing to the inspiration it offered to its readers. Though the movie is also inspiring, the book is far more insightful and iconic in its genre.
Elizabeth Gilbert is a modern American woman in her early thirties, who is desperately looking to balance her chaotic life. She is a successful woman who enjoys a comfortable life in the New York City; however, she has been dealing with a painful divorce and has been discontented and confused about life in general. This book revolves around her journey of giving up on the worldly marks of success and setting out to explore the three aspects of her life, i.e. to eat, pray, and love.
These aspects are wonderfully brought out against the backdrop of three countries – Italy, India, and Indonesia. As Elizabeth travels around these places, you will want to travel along with her. The book will inspire you to discover your inner self while exploring the outside world.
5. The Wild Woman’s Guide to Traveling the World – By Kristin Rockaway
Published June 6th, 2017
This book marks Kristin Rockaway’s stunning debut that is sure to inspire wanderlust in you. Kristin offers themes of travel, love, happiness, dreams, and real life, in one narrative. The main character of this story, Sophie, lives a balanced life and has always taken informed decisions in her life. At all times, she has ensured everything, from her education and career to savings, goes right.
While she is at work in New York, she gets to live her dream. She goes on a vacation with her childhood friend and that’s when her orderly life starts crumbling. This leads her into soul-searching adventures that bring her to the love of her life.
The lush and reflective descriptions of the sights and smells of Hong Kong, Macau, and New York City will make you feel as though you were traveling through these places with Sophie. This book will inspire you to embark on new travel adventures and encourage you to pursue your passion.
Travel is revitalizing not merely because of the sights and sceneries, but also due to the memorable experiences you gather when journeying towards your destination. The above-mentioned books will motivate you to pack your bags and get going with their tales of adventure and inspire you to keep finding opportunities to explore faraway places.
