Read These Books and Go Travel

With graduation time approaching, and many high-school students and college kids undecided about life after school, the option of taking a year off to travel is becoming more and more popular. Traveling cross-country or continent can be an eye-opening experience, especially for those of us that have had minimal travel time. So, if you do decide to take year off and travel take my advice and read these novels to get a hint as to what an extended period of time on a road trip is like. If you sit down and read any of these books, you just might get the bug to jump in your car and drive to Patagonia of all places.

The first book you should read is Travels With Charley by the immortal John Steinbeck. This story follows Steinbeck after he decides to take a journey around the perimeter of the country in his truck and with his trusty sidekick of a dog, Charley. This is after he has become world-famous as one of the best authors ever. His story takes him to all of the out-of-the-way places that most tourists would never think to stop and see. He hangs with truckers, eats at old-fashioned diners, and even helps out a few fellow travelers along the way. He delves deep into the unseen lives of people that live in different parts of the country and his expertise in capturing this is what makes Travels With Charley such a masterpiece. This book is a good read for any of those looking to spend some solitary time on the road. You'll get good advice and plenty of ideas.

Another solitary adventure can be found in Paul Theroux's The Old Patagonia Express. This is a must read for anyone looking to push the limits of your travel experience. It follows Theroux as he boards a train in Boston and departs at the end of Argentina in Patagonia months later. His story takes him through the Americas and chronicles each stop along the way. He makes a point to visit every country along the railroad route, except for Nicaragua, which was in a state of unrest. This book will most definitely make you want to travel to Central and South America and see countries like Costa Rica, Peru, and places like Machu Pichu and Buenos Aires. If you are bold you might be able to follow in his footsteps, but he deliberately takes the less traveled route. In many instances Theroux could have flown to each destination, but the train makes him more of a hardened traveler. Read The Old Patagonia Express and get the bug to jump on a train to anywhere.

The final book you should check out is Alan Weisbecker's In Search of Captain Zero. Alan Weisbecker leaves Long Island on a desperate quest to find his long-lost best friend deep in the Costa Rican rainforest. On his way through Central America in his all-purpose traveling vehicle, he stops at a number of great surf-spots and catches come phenomenal waves. He is approached by banditos in the bush, is nearly caught in a revolution in El Salvador, and finds his friend deep in the throes of addiction. This book should be read by anyone looking to head out on a surf trip, as his has descriptions and details of many of the surf spots he visits along the way.

With graduation comes plenty of decisions. If you do decide to defer a year before heading off to college or into the real world, read these three books to get some motivation to travel and see the world. If you can't be convinced by these authors, than perhaps traveling isn't for you.