8 Books to Inspire Your Next Journey
We’ve all been there. The calendar fills up with work to-do’s, family commitments and everyday tasks. Weeks slip away and there you sit, cup of coffee in hand, dreaming of a quick getaway. The problem is, where should you go? When life gets in the way of your travel plans, the easiest way to dream outside your hometown is to dive into a good book. Below are some of my favorite travel reads that helped inspire my own journeys, and some still to come. Enjoy!
The Bells of Old Tokyo: Meditations on Time and a City
I’ve read a lot of books set in Japan, but none have made me want to walk the streets of Tokyo as much as Anna Sherman’s The Bells of Old Tokyo. Tracing the Bells of Time from the Edo period, Sherman dives into the history of Tokyo and how it has changed. I especially loved the moments in Daibo Cafe where the differences between cultures are explored with humor and heart. I found myself following along with a map next to me, to walk the same streets as Sherman. It’s an engrossing read that is equal parts history, self-discovery, and cultural exploration. If you’re dreaming of a trip to Tokyo, this is a great place to start.
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
In 2018 I had the pleasure of hearing Helen Russell talk at TravelCon (I even got to chat with her briefly after a photography panel) and was so glad that I had already read her 2015 memoir about her family’s move to Denmark. Each chapter, cleverly divided into months, looks at a different facet of Danish life and culture as Russell muses on trying to fit in among the Danes in Jutland.
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Eric Weiner’s search for happiness in The Geography of Bliss is a breath of fresh air to read. Not dissimilar to the approach Russell takes in The Year of Living Danishly, Weiner sets out to more far flung places like Iceland, Bhutan, Moldova and Qatar, to see what happiness means to different cultures and how we can apply that to our own lives. It’s a funny, eye-opening, and empathetic read that challenges you to look beyond what you know about happiness. It even inspired a TV series, Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss.
The Joys of Travel: And Stories That Illuminate Them
I keep returning to Thomas Swick’s 2016 book The Joys of Travel, time and time again. I’m actually in the process of re-reading it right now. The veteran travel writer manages to distill seven different ‘joys’ of travel that help illuminate any journey you take. Split into two sections, Joys and Stories, Swick recounts specific travels and how things like anticipation of a journey, novelty, and heightened appreciation of home shape us. If you’re looking for general travel inspiration and digging into the ‘why’ of travel, this book is for you.
Travel as a Political Act
You can’t talk about travel writing without bringing up Rick Steves. Known more for his travel guides and TV show, Steves’ 2018 book Travel as a Political Act, takes a bit of a different tone as he posits that thoughtful travel is what breaks down fear and barriers. It also is a departure from his focus on European travel, with essays recounting his travels in Central America, Asia, the Middle East, as well as in Europe. If you’re a fan of any of Steves’ content, this will be right up your alley.
Paris to the Moon
This is the first book on this list that I read and I’m not sure I appreciated as much back then. Adam Gopnik’s essays on parenting, philosophy and being an American expatriate in Paris hit a little different after being a temporary expat myself. His observations on the cultural differences between Americans and Parisians at the end of the twentieth century are equal parts hilarious and prescient. If your dream is sipping wine while sitting along the Seine, this book could be just the antidote you need.
How to Talk About Places You've Never Been: On the Importance of Armchair Travel
So you’re dreaming of a global adventure but are still stuck at home? Armchair travel might be just the thing you need while you wait for that perfect globetrotting experience to come. Author Pierre Bayard muses on how the ‘nonjourney’ can be just as fulfilling as traveling. If you’re short of time to leave town, why not immerse yourself in the art, literature, and culture of that place right where you are. Bayard’s book will be a balm for those in between trips, those looking for low-cost inspiration, and those just wanting to broaden their horizons.
A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of a Faith
Timothy Egan’s 2019 memoir/travelogue was one of my favorite reads of 2020, right before I moved to England in the middle of a global pandemic. His observations on grief, faith, loss and life as he traveled from Canterbury to Rome on the Via Francigena is a highly readable look at the history of Christianity along a pilgrim’s trail through England, France, Switzerland and Italy. A great book to spark your own pilgrimage journey.
