Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

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Potts introduces the concept of how work and pleasure fit into our lives, and how the first step of vagabonding is earning your freedom to take an extended journey. Yes, this speaks to financially preparing yourself to live on little or zero income. But it also advises how to handle your career, relationships, and attitude prior to taking a leap.

Potts wants us to wander, to explore, to embrace the unknown, and, finally, to take our own damn time about it. I think this is the most sensible book of travel-related advice ever written.” —Tim Cahill, founding editor of Outside When I was researching adventurous life paths, I considered finding defense contract work. My thinking was that anything had to be better than my current situation.

When I first saw the title of this book, Vagabonding, An uncommon guide to the art of long-term world travel, I thought it was a joke, as unfortunately most people probably did. But the truth is, this should be required reading for anyone about to enter the real world after university. In fact it should be required for everyone period. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, first recommeneded it to me and given my great admiration for him, Vagabonding was the next book on my list.

Another tip: don't expect luxuries when globetrotting. It's ridiculous to go abroad and expect high-quality comforts and fawning service. Again: if this is your mentality, you may as well save your money and remain in America. Travel to Florida, Palm Springs, or someplace safe like that. Although I do admire Rolf Potts, I think that the advice written in this book is less practical information and more spiritual inspiration. Most of what he writes are things to motivate the reader, to show that a vagabonding lifestyle is desirable and possible. I would say this book is about two topics: the philosophy behind traveling and practical tips on how to long term travel in a fulfilling way. Why I Read this Book: Travel and exploration is an essential part of the development of a successful and fulfilled life. Rolf provides an awesome and inspirational guide.

Vagabonding involves taking an extended time-out from your normal life — six weeks, four months, two years — to travel the world on your own terms. For those who just want to enjoy the journey, Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding combines practical tips for getting happily lost with a genuine love for life on the road.” — Toronto Star On The Road is a classic American travel book. It’s the semi-autobiographical story of Sal Paradise (based on Kerouac himself) & Dean Moriarty’s cross-country hitchhiking and train-hopping journey across rural America in the 1940’s. I’ve been traveling the world for 9 years now, and it all started after I was inspired by reading some incredible travel books.

For the wary soul who needs a bit of extra convincing of the life-changing wonders that await abroad, there’s perhaps no better resource than The Cat Who Went To Paris. Peter Gethers’ global journeys with a cat named Norton puts a dose of adorable humor into many common travel situations.You get to feel what traveling through 1870’s Europe was like, including the landscape, religion, and the people. Robert & his donkey don’t get along at first, but through trial and error they learn to become travel companions. While Journalist Theodore Morde thinks that he has returned from the rainforest safely, with bags filled with artifacts, he mysteriously commits suicide and never reveals the location of the sacred city. This book will draw you in from the get-go. Curious how I make money while traveling? Here are the different ways I get paid to travel the world. Shantaram is set in the underworld of contemporary India, where an escaped convict from Australia named Lin is hiding out. He searches for love while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums and simultaneously working for the Bombay mafia.