The Healing Power of Travel: Not All Who Wander are Lost Shares Stories of Healing and Transformation

 

 

Not All Who Wander Are Lost: Purposeful Travelers Share their Stories of Healing

By Sara Tyler with contributing authors: Wendy Zanders, Jessica Hanaghan, Joahna Tupas, Sarah Lorimer de Santi, Kruti Desai, Tatiana Foldesi, Kate Scully, Vanessa Holloway, Judy Winsberg, Kayla Lowery, Casey Hearne, Amy Giacometti, Bobbi Gould

Nomad Publishing, 2023

235 ppg.

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I never knew just how amazing of a role travel can play in a person’s life until I read Not All Who Wander Are Lost. There is so much I loved about this book! As someone stuck at home, it gave me the opportunity to become an armchair traveler, visiting places and countries I have only dreamed of going to. As someone who has traveled with family, I got to relive memories of family vacations. And as someone who has found solace and comfort from my grief in my travels, I could relate to a lot of what these authors were talking about in how traveling helped them heal from their grief.

But travel can do so much more for people. It allows us to go somewhere new and unknown. It allows us to soak in new cultures and experience the sights, sounds and tastes we cannot experience at home. As Jessica Hanaghan writes in her chapter, “Travel has a way of surprising us. You never quite know what to expect when you step outside of your comfort zone and explore new places and cultures. But one thing is certain: travel can be incredibly therapeutic and healing. There is something about immersing yourself in a new environment, seeing new sights, tasting new foods, and meeting new people that can open your mind and heart in ways that you never thought possible. It’s a chance to break free from the constraints of your everyday life and discover new aspects of yourself and the world around you.”

Not only can you have those experiences when you travel, but you can also have them when you get lost! I know lots of people hate getting lost, but even when I’m running late to get somewhere, I love getting lost! It was in getting lost that I have learned where places are, how to get somewhere, meeting interesting people and seeing wonderful things. I am a wanderer by heart. My mom had a strong sense of wanderlust so we were always moving from one city or state to another. I grew up wandering. So, provided my health and the weather are good, I will go wandering. I love taking the road less traveled. I love to explore. So even if I am “lost,” I don’t really consider myself to be lost. Just wandering. And that’s why I love the title of this book so much.

The women who wrote these stories experience so many different things while traveling; growth, healing, transformation and learning to love oneself. It is interesting to note how travel is able to provide so many different experiences for each person. I remember the time I flew to St. Louis to attend my father’s funeral. My father died an alcoholic and we had a difficult relationship because he was abusive to us kids. However, it was on that flight that I worked through all of my conflicting feelings that I had about my father, and I found the strength to forgive him for the past. By the time I walked into his funeral, it was with a loving heart. Travel has that kind of healing power. I guess I should not be surprised that this happened, as one contributor, Kruti Desai, wrote, “There are many healing powers that traveling with others or engaging in culture and human connection can bring.” I am grateful I got to experience some of that healing power.

And as another author wrote, “Travel is transformational.”

I love how many of the authors share how they were able to travel — or not! — once the pandemic hit and the world basically shut down. Some of them managed a bit of travel and others stayed where they were, indulging in their vacation spots.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost is an amazing and inspirational book that I really enjoyed reading. Once I picked it up to read, it was definitely hard to put down! I loved reading every chapter; there is so much healing, comfort, hope and transformation to be found in all of them. Instead of just coping with their grief or accepting their lot in life, and rather than giving in to the expectations of what everybody else wanted them to do with their lives, these women took control over their lives, found the power and strength to move forward, and faced their fears as they explored new places and embraced new adventures. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading travel stories, but also for people struggling with grief and uncertainty. If you are stuck in life or bogged down by negative emotions, consider traveling as a cure for what ails you. Say yes to the journey, take the trip, and go where your heart leads you. You and your life will be better for it.

Five stars.

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.