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When wanderlust strikes but vacation days are scarce, I find myself turning to travel memoirs to escape the confines of everyday life. These literary journeys transport me to distant landscapes and unfamiliar cultures, all from the comfort of my reading nook. The five great travel memoirs I’m sharing haven’t just entertained me—they’ve fundamentally shifted my perspective on life and illuminated the endless possibilities that exist beyond my familiar routines. Each book offers a unique window into transformative journeys that continue to inspire my own adventures, both planned and dreamed.
Eat, Pray, Love
When I started reading this book, quite honestly, I didn’t want to be moved by it. In some ways, I thought it was silly to even be engaging with the text because at the time, I was 25, and the protagonist was 32. I didn’t feel that we’d really have anything to connect on. But, immediately, I proved myself wrong. Gilbert’s prose throughout this great travel memoir lends itself to the dreamers, and there is a sense of awe and wonder in her ability to take what is, seemingly, an insane idea and turn it into a life-changing reality. Will I go on my own year-long trek around the world to find myself? Probably not. However, I’m grateful to Gilbert for the wisdom she imparts to her readers from her own experience doing just that.
Wild
If this book doesn’t make you want to spend a summer solo hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, I advise you to restart the book and try again. Written with the raw honesty of a woman who truly had nothing else to lose, the insight and wisdom this book provides is unmatched. When I think about the triumph of the human spirit, I think about Cheryl out on the trail, pushing through fear and self-doubt to get herself to the Oregon-Washington border alive. This memoir made me believe in myself and my own ability to hike in the desert alone, drive across the country by myself, and more generally, live and explore without fear of the unknown. I believe this is truly one of the best, if not the best travel memoir available.
Between Two Kingdoms
A more reflective tale, we watch the evolution of Suleika from a young cancer patient to a wise cancer survivor, who has seen and lived with far more pain than any woman in their mid-20s should. The solo road trip she embarks on happens toward the middle/end of the book, after she survives cancer and goes out into the country to meet many of the people who supported her along the way. Her perspective on life and the new connections and interactions she makes after overcoming such a harrowing experience lends a unique lens to the memoir. Having set out on a journey she never thought she’d live to see, the gratitude and empathy she extends to the people she meets is inspiring to lay witness to.
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
This might be my favorite book. Period. I think about this memoir at least once a week. Maybe it’s because Finnegan had the courage to embark on a journey I, currently, can only dream about. Maybe it’s because I always imagined I’d be a surfer one day, and to read about someone who actually lived out this reality feels incredible. Whatever the reason, this book changed my perspective on travel, exploration, and the meaning of adventure. We follow Finnegan across his life, beginning in Hawaii, where he learned to surf, and leaving him in San Francisco, where he spends the majority of his adult life. The crux of the narrative, however, centers on a five-year epic journey across the world, partially in search of the ‘perfect wave’ and partially in search of himself. I hope one day to have the courage to explore my ideas, feelings, and desires in the way Finnegan does throughout the memoir.
Travels with Charley in Search of America
For me, Steinbeck’s California is the most beautiful place in the literary world. The love with which he writes about the Central Coast forces his readers to feel that same tenderness toward his homeland. This book pushes beyond California and allows Steinbeck the opportunity to characterize the rest of the country to his readers as well. And he does not disappoint. The memoir chronicles his last road trip through the U.S. Avoiding most major highways, Steinbeck sticks to the back roads, engages with the locals, and tries to impart to the reader the general sense of how each part of this country feels in the late 1950s. The course of Steinbeck’s road trip is an ideal that I’ve been striving for on my journeys ever since. The goal of travel is to gain new perspectives and interact with people who are different from you to learn and grow. And even on his last road trip, Steinbeck emphasizes the importance of this central tenet to travel.
These five great travel memoirs have become more than just books on my shelf—they’re roadmaps for living boldly and embracing the unknown. From Gilbert’s spiritual quest and Strayed’s rugged determination to Jaouad’s profound gratitude, Finnegan’s lifelong pursuit of the perfect wave, and Steinbeck’s nostalgic exploration of America’s back roads, each author demonstrates how travel can transform not just our understanding of the world, but of ourselves.
Their journeys remind me that travel isn’t merely about checking destinations off a list—it’s about opening ourselves to new experiences, connecting with others unlike ourselves, and discovering parts of our own character that might otherwise remain dormant. Whether I’m planning my next adventure or simply dreaming from my armchair during busy seasons of life, these stories continue to fuel my wanderlust and courage.
What travel memoirs have shaped your worldview? I’d love to hear which books have inspired your journeys, both physical and spiritual. Until then, happy reading and happy travels—sometimes they’re one and the same.
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