Scott and I talked about traveling around the world together on our first date. I had always wanted to be a world traveler and in 2017 I had finally met my match. With all of my best efforts, at 59 years old, I had only made it to Mexico, Europe and Canada. In contrast, Scott had spent most of his life traveling all over the world.
In preparation for this adventure, we both read countless travel blogs, but there were a couple of books we loved that helped us prepare for this major lifestyle change.
Here are two of our favorites:
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts.
This book helped put words to our ‘why.’ In a world of missionaries who want to better a community, narcissus who want to change the world, and sole-seekers who want to find themselves, we were none of these.
Mr. Potts has a beautiful way of articulating and inspiring wanna-be’s like us.
Our ‘why’ was refined after reading this book. Simply put, ‘A desire to learn about other cultures and to have broader understanding of people and life.’
Take a Year Off by Alexandra and David Brown.
This is a charming diary of a young couple who start their journey around-the-world within four months of their first date. At least Scott and I waited 2 1/2 years after ours!
Alexandra and David share their travel plans and strategy on how they make decisions on destinations and accommodations. They outline their budget strategies, food issues (Alexandra is gluten-free), and their struggles as a couple who barely know each other. They also have practical advise on what to pack, how to tell your parents you’re quitting your job to travel the world with this ‘ guy;’ along with budget cutting ideas, and what it feels like to go home again.
These are inspirational books even if you aren’t ready to cash-in and leave the country.
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