You may have heard the genre, “a strong independent woman leaves some dude to travel the world,” or maybe I made that up. Regardless, all my favorite books seem to fall under this category. They fill the void during periods in my life when I feel trapped in the suburbs because traveling isn’t possible. While I’m nannying and changing diapers to save up for my next trip, I like to read about badass women doing badass things around the world. Books like Eat Pray Love are what keep my sanity intact. I’ve created a list of my top 5 favorite travel novels. *WARNING* these books will inspire you to bust out of your routine, leave that awful relationship (or even that good one), and get out of your hometown.
1. Eat Pray Love
(Duh)
“The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying; the only thing more impossible than staying was leaving.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love
2. What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding
If you are a That 70’s Show fan, this ones for you! Kristen Newman was one of the writers for the show.
“I wanted love, but I also wanted freedom and adventure, and those two desires fought like angry obese sumo wrestlers in the dojo of my soul.” ― Kristen Newman, What I was Doing While you Were Breeding
3. Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World
“My spirit gets nourished in faraway places. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a biological need, perhaps a biological flaw, that compels me to seek the excitement and challenge that comes of being in a place where nobody knows me.” ― Rita Golden Gelman, Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World
4. Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents
“We jumped into water so clear and warm that it was like jumping from air to air. The sand rose up under us and we floated to where it met the sea and walked out of the water like creatures in an act of evolution.” ― Elisabeth Eaves,Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents
5. Wild
“I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.” ― Cheryl Strayed
