Travel is more than just something to dream about. It’s a chance for you to open yourself up to unexpected adventures, experience new cultures and witness great works of art. The great and yet unrealized truth is that travel can indeed be a goal for which we can aspire and achieve. When was the last time that you hoped on a plane to some far off land? Do you remember the feeling of excitement and discovery as you touched down in that magical place? So foreign it must have seemed and yet so settling because that moment is what makes you feel alive. So why has it been so long?
Sometimes we need a push to reach the things we think are unreachable. There’s no shame in that, we all need to be inspired from time to time. What inspires you to take on new adventures? What inspires you to jump out of your comfort zone? Below are 5 epic adventures that will take you on a journey of imagination and are sure to open up that part of you that says “yes” to travel.
The Last of Will – by Sheryl Benko
What could be more adventurous than tagging along with your dad as he delivers a stranger’s ashes to their new home? Greer Sarazen is like any teenager. All she wants is to get her driver’s license, to not be bugged by annoying people, and to NOT have her spring break interrupted. Yet, when her dad, Will – who has been unemployed due to downsizing – finally gets a job at the local cemetery, it’s time to take to the road. Still doesn’t get your thoughts of travel percolating? Add a stranded van, a clown, a rodeo, a disco-dancing nerd and a belligerent dwarf to the mix and you have a wild ride bound to get your mind wandering. Of course, the departed “passenger” becomes an unexpected friend proving that, sometimes, the things we truly need are the last things we would ever expect. This is what the adventure of travel and exploration is all about.
The Engine Woman’s Light – by Laurel Anne Hill
Have you ever jumped on a train not knowing exactly where you’re heading, or bought a euro pass with the intention of seeing as many countries as you can? Imagine this for a little inspiration. A mystical vision of an airship appears to fifteen-year-old Juanita. The long-dead captain commands her to prevent California’s thrown-away people—including young children—from boarding trains to an asylum. That institution’s director plots murder to reduce the inmate population. Yet to save innocent lives Juanita must take lives of the corrupt. How can she reconcile her assignment with her belief in the sacredness of all human life? And will she survive to marry her betrothed? This is a book about what is possible. If fifteen-year-old Juanita can do it, so can you.
Growing Up Hollywood – by Tara Botel Doherty
There’s no need to go to Europe to have an adventure when you can visit Hollywood, Los Angeles. Intrigue and excitement are all over the streets of Hollywood Blvd, the Sunset strip and the pages of “Growing Up Hollywood.” Hollywood is the land of hopes, dreams, and make-believe. Anything can happen on its tarnished and run-down streets, especially on the Boulevard in the 1970’s. Annie and Gracie, sisters aged 7 and 10, live near the Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills. Follow these two sisters’ adventures as they grow up among the famous Hollywood landmarks and learn about life and the people who are drawn to fame and fortune. Visit the Boulevard with its tacky and sometimes shady establishments, and the patrons who inhabit them. Meet the eccentrics looking for fame and fortune among the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Whether you feel California bound or somewhere more exotic, this book will give you the inspiration you need.
“Coyote” Straight Outta Tombstone – by Naomi Brett Rourke
In this short story, you don’t just get to travel you get to travel back in time. When the treaty between the Apache and the American government is broken, the killing begins, and knows no mercy or boundaries. Lines are crossed and innocent blood is shed. While Itza-chu mourns the death of his wife at the hands of a white man, he suffers yet another loss. Itza-chu and his granddaughter, Cocheta, watch as his son, and her father, dies by hanging. Revenge is on the minds of the Apache who have suffered enough. This tale takes you on a mythical and dark path that will certainly get your imagination working over time.
Next Therapist Please – by Laurie Finkelstein
These 5 titles make you want to break out of the ties that bind you and travel the world looking for adventure. Don’t let anything stop you from your aspirations. Set a goal and away you go.
Ready for a journey of discovery? There is something so uniquely inspirational about watching someone overcome her fears and challenges to create a better life. Janie Weiss is a gifted visual artist who shakes and stirs cocktails like nobody else. But when it comes to living an anxious free life, Janie turns into a disaster. She obsesses over every detail of her clothing, prays to find a parking space she feels ‘comfortable’ with, and reads to escape the here and now. Blessed with anxiety, depression, and OCD, she hops from one therapist to the next in search of managing her mental illness to thrive in life, and from one gallery opening reception to another to gain representation. This is a book about traveling through life with fearlessness in the face of many obstacles designed to paralyze.
