On the Road in ’68, by Tom Leech

Essentially a published travel journal accented with historical event lists from both then and now, On the Road in ’68 covers the year-long journey of two friends that took place during a tumultuous time in world history.

The Best Women’s Travel Writing of 2011

Edited by Lavinia Spalding, The Best Women’s Travel Writing of 2011 is a compilation of short, nonfiction travel stories from writers such as Erin Van Rheenan, Bonnie Stewart and Abbie Kozolchyk.

Wild with Child: Adventures of Families in the Great Outdoors

Those enthusiastic about family travel, and the hilarious adventures that can come along with it, should get a kick out of Wild with Child. A collection of travel tales focused specifically on vacation getways involving the whole family, this title includes tales of snow camping with the kids by Mark Jenkins, Grand Canyon exploring with Michael Quinn Patton and bush planning to an Alaskan island courtesy of Leslie Leyland Field.

One Hand Does Not Catch a Buffalo (Volume One: Africa)

If you’ve always wondered about the adventures of serving in the Peace Corps, then chances are you’ll enjoy One Hand Does Not Catch a Buffalo. Volume one of a collection of over 50 years of Peace Corps stories, the titles was edited by Aaron Barlow and includes entries by Robert Klein, Robert E. Gribbin and Sera Arcaro among others. Tales hail from such African destinations as Burkina Faso, Madagascar and Senegal, providing a diverse representation of this exotic continent.

The Best Travel Writing of 2011

With an introduction by Pico Iyer, The Best Travel Writing of 2011 showcases top travel writing works by a variety of authors such as Debra Taffa, Cameron McPherson Smith and Sabine Bergmann. Story settings include Iceland, Idaho, Bolivia and Belarus.

What travel titles made it to your reading shelf this year?

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This instruction manual for travel yoga by Darrin Zeer, covers poses you can perform casually in the airport as well as tips for every portion of the trip, including layovers, at the luggage carousel, standing in line for the security check, on the plane, etc.  Some of top tips from the book?

• When stressed, stop. Take a deep breath . It doesn’t matter where you are, according to Zeer. Crowded street, bus station, middle of the airport or even a taxi cab. All are appropriate locations to get a grip.
• Make peace of mind your highest priority throughout your trip.
• The back-stretching cat pose. This one’s great for the hotel at the end of the day. Just get on your hands and knees, and slowly arch your spine up and down. This will get out the kinks from a long day of sitting on a train or plane.

Slightly larger than a pocket-sized book, this hard cover title is small enough to pack conveniently if you are on a short trip, but I’m not sure I would lug it on a long-term excursion when space is an issue. Available through Amazon.

Photo Credit: Chronicle Books

Written by Emily Laurence Baker, this activity deck is designed with families in mind.

Expecting a book, I was surprised to find this title is actually a box of activity cards. Each one has a pictorial map on the back, and a written description of that site’s activities on the front.  My take? This is one of those products you pick up to let the kids have something to interact with and build the excitement for your various day trips.

You’ll definitely want to use your city map and guide book as your main tools. That being said, the kids will likely enjoy using them, so if you have the extra gear space they’ll make a nice addition to your list of trip tools. These activity decks are available for numerous international cities, so if your family travels frequently they might also be a fun tradition to start.  The London edition of City Walks with Kids is available on Amazon.

Photo Credit: Chronicle Books

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Three Cups of Tea

Discovering what we love, pursuing what we love and creating an opportunity to do what we feel is our life’s work is a gift. For many these discoveries take time and evolve through opportunities, hobbies, travel and every day life experiences. Sometimes it’s a chance meeting, a conversation with a friend or a significant life event that propels us to change our direction, widen our horizon and open a door to our life’s work.

Recently I received “Three Cups of Tea“written by Greg Mortenson. I’d seen the book in bookstores, but never read it. This book is deeply inspiring, attitude changing and just a beautiful example of how following our beliefs and our life’s work can change not only our lives for the better, but the lives of many people around us.  Greg Mortenson’s desire to climb K-2 took him to Pakistan, but it was his experiences in a small village in Pakistan that changed the direction of his life.

Three Cups of Tea should be required reading. It’s one mans journey to transform our world and our attitudes by building schools in remote villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan where girls are rarely educated. It’s Mortenson’s belief that if we educate women we can change the world. Women stay in the villages and teach others the knowledge they’ve learned. They share it with their children and their friends, thus creating a chain reaction of education and positive change within the villages. It is Mortensons’s belief that we will have more success ridding the world of terrorism through educating women and children than we could ever have through war. He has now built over 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and his life’s work continues with great support and appreciation. It all began with one dream and one man’s simple income. He was a nurse, who sometimes lived out of his car to save money so that he could go back to Pakistan and build the school he had promised to the village of Korphe after his injuries and failed attempt climb K-2. This book will inspire you and touch you. For anyone with a dream or a vision of creating their life’s work, this book is a beautiful beginning. For more information on Greg Mortenson, view his blog.

Greg Mortenson’s new book Stones into Schools was released last month by Penguin Books. Order a copy of Stones into Schools.

Special thanks to my friend Elizabeth for sharing Three Cups of Tea, with me.

Susan Van Allen’s Italian travel book 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go is part travel guide, part “inside peek”. Broken down into topic areas such as beaches, sights, beauty spas and cooking schools, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go points out spectacular unknowns in addition to well-known “gotta see ‘ems”. A few on her list?

• The Palazzo Barbarini in Rome
• The Florentine home of Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• The Peggy Guggenheim collection in Venice
• The romantic and undisturbed temple of Segesta in Sicily
• Michelangelo’s Pieta in St. Peter’s basilica

I particularly enjoyed how destination write ups come with accessible hours and possible literary pairings, as well as a clear inside knowledge of each location. While anyone traveling to Italy would find this title helpful preliminary reading, I think this title would be of particular use to expats or travelers exploring Italy through an extended stay.

Related Reading: 11 Things to Do in Bolzano, Italy.

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Carolyn Theriault’s move to Morocco thrust her into a situation many expats are familiar with: extreme cultural adjustment during a time of total career transition. Those of us who have been through this understand the punchy sense of humor that arises from the “might as well laugh as cry” phase so typical of international moves.

It’s not that we don’t enjoy travel, or value the cultural integration opportunity. We do. But the fact is, the settling-in phase rarely goes smoothly, resulting in one hilarious research mission after another (grocery shopping, obtaining a driver’s license). While we all go through the same adjustments and attempt to get a good laugh out of them, few actually go the extra mile and commit the experience to paper. Theriault has done dust that with an edgy, honest style born of authentic life experiences.

Two particular incidents stuck out to me. First, the weekend getaway with the coworker and local drivers / guides / “new friends” where Carolyn gets stuck in a continuous loop of struggling to reach her desired destination, regardless of how clearly she tries to communicate her needs. A version of this story happens more frequently than most independent travelers might care to admit. Second, the initial post office visit where Theriault goes to retrieve her package from home. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I have had the exact same experience on numerous occasions, but to me this was just wet-your-pants funny. Ditto with the no bathtub chapter.

As a huge fan of the Middle East in general, I was a bit sad that things hadn’t gone more smoothly for Carolyn during her time in Morocco. Negative accounts from westerners relating to the Middle East region always seem so abundant, and positive ones are unfortunately less prevalent. That being said, her experiences and voice were utterly authentic and I enjoyed her style. Congrats to Theriault on her first title, Stealing Fatima’s Hand. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Photo Credit: Vox Humana

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One of the things that struck me about this book was the author’s sincere interest in providing her readers with the necessary tools to start carving out their “travel transformation” experiences.

Although some pretty broad and usually difficult to quantify concepts are covered (stepping into courage, developing self esteem, bonding with nature), numerous supporting narratives for each topic are included, as well as some simple life strategies and implementation tips for the general person on the street.

If you are contemplating travel as a way to promote spirituality and self discovery, this title will certainly be of help to you. I think you’ll find it worth the time. Keep me posted!

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Written by a gentleman by the name of Brad Olsen, this book is definitely written from the younger person’s perspective.

That being said, it’s a fun piece published in an edgy style with all sorts of tips and comments on the various aspects of travel. One thing we noted was his assumption that the most opportune time to go on a world stomp would be the time between college and home/family/career. Since we have done the world travel thing both before and after, and know of many other people who are doing this later in life as well, we are inclined to disagree with Brad on this issue. However, kudos to anyone who puts their nose to the grindstone and maintains the necessary level of self discipline to actually finish and produce a travel book, and this one would be of interest to anyone in the twenty-something crowd who is looking for overall advice on starting to incorporate more stomping into their life. Good job.

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Beth Whitman does an excellent job covering all of the potential details women and other first time travelers must consider before hitting the road. Packing, safety, selecting a particular type of trip, online resources and more.

One thing she discusses is something my husband and I were determined to deal with before we left on our adventure. However, I’m embarrassed to admit that with the chaos of the move, retirement, dog relocation, etc. . . we actually forgot to get it. That something is travel insurance. With some of the anecdotal sections on this topic, Beth reminded us just how closely we courted disaster.

Other great topics are covered as well, including responsible travel, making friends while going solo, product recommendations  (love that lip balm sized stain remover idea) and more. We pride ourselves on being fairly savvy and informed travelers, but I have to admit, Beth Whitman taught us a thing or two. If you’ve never traveled before, or are looking for some additional skills, tips or resources, pick up this solo travel guide for women. It will help you get excited, and informed, about hitting the road.

P.S. Because so many of the tips and philosophies shared in this book are very similar to our own, we sense a kindred spirit in this fellow globe trotter. Now that I’ve finished the book, my husband can’t wait to pick it up and review it as well. Great job, Beth!

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“Married to a Bedouin” by Marguerite van Geldermalsen is the fascinating story of the author’slife among the native Bedouin of Petra, Jordan. 

Wandering through the Middle East with her companion in the mid-70′s, Marguerite befriends Mohammad, her soon to be husband.  She then goes on to chronicle their wedding, (complete with ammunition) and her assimilation into the unique Bedouin culture.  At the time, the Bedouin of Petra lived in the thousands of caves that still dot the landscape, and the author covers everyday life in the caves right up until their eventual resettlement in the government village of Umm Sayhoon.  The author also casts a keen eye to catch a snapshot of this unique culture on the verge of transformation.  She also notes that not all the Bedouin were resistant to change;  they were eager for most of the modern amenities that the West takes for granted.  The book also recounts their adventures in Wadi Sabra and the openess of the easy going Bedouin.  Working at the local clinic (the Bedouin are guaranteed free health care by the state), Marguerite shares in the life and times of the entire village, culminating in the birth of her children.  I highly recommend “Married to a Bedouin” to anyone who has been to, or is contemplating going to Petra.  It shows that in addition to the ancient cultures tourists pay to visit,  there may be one there that is living, breathing, and equally valid.  And as we learned, the Bedouin still take house guests!