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Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
Vagabonding is about taking time off from your normal life--from six weeks to four months to two years--to discover and experience the world on your own terms. Veteran shoestring traveler Rolf Potts shows how anyone with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel.
Visit the vagabonding community's hub at www dot vagabonding dot net.
Visit the vagabonding community's hub at www dot vagabonding dot net.
205 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Rolf Potts
17 books299 followersRolf Potts has reported from more than sixty countries for the likes of National Geographic Traveler, the New York Times Magazine, Slate.com, Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, The Believer, The Guardian (U.K.), National Public Radio, and the Travel Channel. A veteran travel columnist for the likes of Salon.com and World Hum, his adventures have taken him across six continents, and include piloting a fishing boat 900 miles down the Laotian Mekong, hitchhiking across Eastern Europe, traversing Israel on foot, bicycling across Burma, and driving a Land Rover from Sunnyvale, California to Ushuaia, Argentina.
-from rolfpotts.com
-from rolfpotts.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,535 reviews
August 28, 2013
I finished reading Vagabonding for the second time. The first time I read it was about four years ago, when I first started to experience serious wanderlust. It was inspiring and echoed the way I felt about traveling, but it wasn’t applicable yet. One Day, I mused, I will go on a long-term trip. One day, I will go “vagabonding.” It put the bug in my ear that long-term travel is possible.
But finishing it now, in the midst of an extended journey, is incredibly satisfying and comforting. It’s satisfying to know that I am actually DOING IT — realizing my ambition and living out a dream. And it’s comforting to read something that describes exactly what I’m experiencing physically, mentally, and emotionally. I feel welcomed among a league of travelers who have come before me, walk alongside me, and will follow in our footsteps.
Here are my favorite takeaways from the book.
1. Long-term travel is possible regardless of demographics, age, or income.
It really comes down to priorities. I believe if you have a burning desire to travel or do anything really, you can make it happen [See: Desire + Decision = Magic]. But this isn’t just a lesson I’ve learned from the book — I’m seeing it firsthand with the people I’ve met on the road:
- A young Texas couple traveling and working in Europe indefinitely;
- An Australian architect taking year career break to travel from Europe to Asia;
- A few German university students hitchhiking around Europe during a three month summer break;
- A Japanese woman dropping everything to travel the world for a year after living through Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami;
- A 70-year-old Estonian man who escaped the Soviet rule at nineteen and vowed to travel around the world and return to Estonia only when it became a free nation (which finally happened in 1991).
The only common thread between these people is a strong desire to see the world and making the decision to do it. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. It just requires removing the reductive lens from which we view our lives and the world and expand our belief of what’s possible.
2. Vagabonding represents an uncommon outlook and attitude about life.
Although Vagabonding teaches the techniques to affordably travel for extended periods of time, it more importantly introduces a way to find adventure in everyday life.
3. Your freedom is earned, not given.
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.
Like most things, long-term travel starts with taking ownership of your actions and fate. It won’t happen unless you make it a priority.
4. For the most fulfilling travel experience, keep it simple, take it slow, and don’t set limits.
When I first fantasized about taking a long-term trip, my goal was simply to experience life in different places around the world and to learn about the culture firsthand. Vagabonding suggests the best way to achieve this is to travel simply, slowly, and without the confines of a specific agenda.
Traveling simply means freeing yourself from “stuff”, leaving you with only the bare necessities to live. By freeing yourself physically from the stuff that defines you, you’re stripped down to just yourself — a sometimes scary reality that forces to figure out who you actually are.
Traveling without a strict agenda or bulleted to-do list, you’re led mostly by heart instead of brain. You do what feels right. And without a feeling like you need to be somewhere or get things done, you give people and places the love and attention they deserve.
This review and more at GiveLiveExplore.com
But finishing it now, in the midst of an extended journey, is incredibly satisfying and comforting. It’s satisfying to know that I am actually DOING IT — realizing my ambition and living out a dream. And it’s comforting to read something that describes exactly what I’m experiencing physically, mentally, and emotionally. I feel welcomed among a league of travelers who have come before me, walk alongside me, and will follow in our footsteps.
Here are my favorite takeaways from the book.
1. Long-term travel is possible regardless of demographics, age, or income.
It really comes down to priorities. I believe if you have a burning desire to travel or do anything really, you can make it happen [See: Desire + Decision = Magic]. But this isn’t just a lesson I’ve learned from the book — I’m seeing it firsthand with the people I’ve met on the road:
- A young Texas couple traveling and working in Europe indefinitely;
- An Australian architect taking year career break to travel from Europe to Asia;
- A few German university students hitchhiking around Europe during a three month summer break;
- A Japanese woman dropping everything to travel the world for a year after living through Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami;
- A 70-year-old Estonian man who escaped the Soviet rule at nineteen and vowed to travel around the world and return to Estonia only when it became a free nation (which finally happened in 1991).
The only common thread between these people is a strong desire to see the world and making the decision to do it. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. It just requires removing the reductive lens from which we view our lives and the world and expand our belief of what’s possible.
2. Vagabonding represents an uncommon outlook and attitude about life.
Although Vagabonding teaches the techniques to affordably travel for extended periods of time, it more importantly introduces a way to find adventure in everyday life.
"Vagabonding is an attitude — a friendly interest in people, places, and things that makes a person an explorer in the truest, most vivid sense of the word."
"[Vagabonding is] the ongoing practice of looking and learning, of facing fears and altering habits, of cultivating a new fascination with people and places."This mentality isn’t reserved just for long-term journeys; it can be achieved by looking at the everyday world with new, curious eyes. It’s about seeing things for what they are, and not for what you think they should or want them to be. It’s about being intensely curious and observant about about the lives around you at the moment, whether that’s your neighbor from Ohio, your hostel roommate from Chile, or the local Latvian you meet at a bar.
3. Your freedom is earned, not given.
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.
"Ultimately, then, the first step of vagabonding is simply a matter of making work serve your interests, instead of the other way around. Believe it or not, this is a radical departure from how most people view work and leisure."It’s interesting how this represents the same belief of the entrepreneurs profiled in Chris Guillebeau’s $100 Startup, while echoing the lesson about the Deferred Life Plan in The Monk and the Riddle. I love when seemingly unrelated books communicate a similar message.
Like most things, long-term travel starts with taking ownership of your actions and fate. It won’t happen unless you make it a priority.
"Vagabonding is about refusing to exile travel to some other, seemingly more appropriate, time of your life. Vagabonding is about taking control of your circumstances instead of passively waiting for them to decide your fate."
4. For the most fulfilling travel experience, keep it simple, take it slow, and don’t set limits.
When I first fantasized about taking a long-term trip, my goal was simply to experience life in different places around the world and to learn about the culture firsthand. Vagabonding suggests the best way to achieve this is to travel simply, slowly, and without the confines of a specific agenda.
Traveling simply means freeing yourself from “stuff”, leaving you with only the bare necessities to live. By freeing yourself physically from the stuff that defines you, you’re stripped down to just yourself — a sometimes scary reality that forces to figure out who you actually are.
"Simplicity — both at home and on the road — affords you the time to seek renewed meaning in an oft-neglected commodity that can’t be bought at any price: life itself."Traveling slowly represents engaging with your surroundings, absorbing a place rather than “ticking it off”, and seeing and listening rather than looking and hearing. It’s the difference between being a traveler and being a tourist: one is active, the other is passive.
"Vagabonding is about not merely reallotting a portion of your life for travel but rediscovering the entire concept of time."
Traveling without a strict agenda or bulleted to-do list, you’re led mostly by heart instead of brain. You do what feels right. And without a feeling like you need to be somewhere or get things done, you give people and places the love and attention they deserve.
"In leaving behind the routines and assumptions of home — in taking that resolute first step into the world — you’ll find yourself entering a much larger and less constrictive paradigm."For me, vagabonding has led to incredible experiences, most of which revolve around conversations with people: spending hours at a cafe talking to an Estonian about growing up under Soviet rule; sharing a typical Icelandic Sunday dinner with locals and discussing elves; hitching with a car full of Lithuanians and learning about their love for the countryside and local beer. Contrast this with my attitude a few short months ago, while working under a strict hour-by-hour daily agenda. I would have rarely allowed myself the time to have such conversations.
This review and more at GiveLiveExplore.com
November 27, 2012
I hit the road for 8 months--7 countries, 4 continents--because of this book.
College behind me, an ex-fiance, and a wad of cash in the bank (invested since I was a child)--that was when I discovered this book. I boarded the plane 5 months later.
I carried it with me the whole trip (it's very light). When I was feeling homesick or just sick, down, or in a rut I'd read a bit of this book and it would fire me up and give me ideas of what to do next.
Being on the road for an extended period of time has a LOT of challenges. Potts doesn't tell you what each of these challenges would be--that's impossible--but he does show you ways of thinking and doing that can help you get the most out of these challenges.
This book isn't necessary for a successful trip. Hardly. People learn on their feet all the time, and what better way to learn than to jump in head first. I will say I'm glad I had this little guide to help me open my eyes to the world of long term travel when I never even knew it existed.
College behind me, an ex-fiance, and a wad of cash in the bank (invested since I was a child)--that was when I discovered this book. I boarded the plane 5 months later.
I carried it with me the whole trip (it's very light). When I was feeling homesick or just sick, down, or in a rut I'd read a bit of this book and it would fire me up and give me ideas of what to do next.
Being on the road for an extended period of time has a LOT of challenges. Potts doesn't tell you what each of these challenges would be--that's impossible--but he does show you ways of thinking and doing that can help you get the most out of these challenges.
This book isn't necessary for a successful trip. Hardly. People learn on their feet all the time, and what better way to learn than to jump in head first. I will say I'm glad I had this little guide to help me open my eyes to the world of long term travel when I never even knew it existed.
February 26, 2012
Rolf Potts gives a ton of good resources for how to travel long-term. This is not for the person who wants to take a week vacation in Cabo, but for someone who wants to hang out in a country or two or however many for a long time -- several weeks to several years. It's inspiring and helpful to know that I'm not the only one who wants to travel this way!
June 3, 2017
XXXIII
How happy is the little stone
That rambles in the road alone,
And does n’t care about careers,
And exigencies never fears;
Whose coat of elemental brown
A passing universe put on;
And independent as the sun,
Associates or glows alone,
Fulfilling absolute decree
In casual simplicity.
-Emily Dickinson (1830–86).
May 17, 2017
As someone who lives a nomadic life, I found enriching what he has to say about long-term travel and living an alternative lifestyle.
He give some excellent, concrete ideas to those who want to travel but claim they can't afford to. He also helps us see how living a traveling life can be greatly rewarding. And also how "vagabonding" is really about being open to life.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Vagabonding is about not merely reallotting a portion of your life for travel but rediscovering the entire concept of time."
"As Pico Iyer pointed out, the act of quitting 'means not giving up, but moving on; changing direction not because something doesn't agree with you, but because you don't agree with something. It's not a complaint...but a positive choice, and not a stop in one's journey but a step in a better direction. Quitting--whether a job or a habit--means taking a turn so as to be sure you're still moving in the direction of your dreams.'"
"There are always people who dare to seek on the margin of society, who are not dependent on social routine, and prefer a kind of free-floating existence." (Thomas Merton)
"There is still an overwhelming social compulsion--an insanity of consensus, if you will--to get rich from life rather than to live life richly."
"Vagabonding is, was, and always will be a private undertaking--and its goal is to improve your life not in relation to your neighbors but it relation to yourself."
"I refuse to spend money on haircuts."
Thoreau: "Money is not required to buy one necessity of the soul."
Kurt Vonnegut: "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."
Antonio Machado: "Paths are made by walking."
Eknath Easwaran: "Excitement and depressions, fortune and misfortune, pleasure and pain are storms in a tiny, private, shell-bound realm--which we take to be the whole of existence. yet we can break out of this shell and enter a new world."
"On the road, you learn to improvise your days, take a second look at everything you see, and not obsess over your schedule."
Robert Pirsig: "I don't want to hurry it. That itself is a poisonous ... attitude. When you want to hurry something, that means you no longer care about it and want to get on to other things."
Ed Buryn: "The challenges you face offer no alternative but to cope with them. And in doing so, your live is being fully lived."
"Vagabonding is like a pilgrimage without a specific destination or goal--not a quest for answers so much as a celebration of the questions, an embrace of the ambiguous, and an openness to anything that comes your way."
"When in doubt about what to do in a place, just start walking through your new environment. Walk until your day becomes interesting."
Buddha: "We see as we are."
"Should sickness or crime catch you off guard, the best response is to humbly accept these things as part of life's adventure."
"Break through the static postcard of fantasy and emerge into the intense beauty of the real. in this way, 'seeing' as you travel is somewhat of a spiritual exercise: a process not of seeking interesting surroundings, but of being continually interested in whatever surrounds you."
"As anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss pointed out fifty years ago, mourning the perceived purity of yesterday will only cause us to miss the true dynamic of today."
"Long-term travel is not the exclusive realm of rebels and mystics but is open to anyone willing to embrace the vivid textures of reality."
"The vagabond frees in himself the latent urge to live closer to the edge of experience."
Annie Dillard: "What we know, at least for starters, is: here we--so incontrovertibly--are. This is our life, these are our lighted seasons, and then we die. In the meantime, in between time, we can see."
He give some excellent, concrete ideas to those who want to travel but claim they can't afford to. He also helps us see how living a traveling life can be greatly rewarding. And also how "vagabonding" is really about being open to life.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Vagabonding is about not merely reallotting a portion of your life for travel but rediscovering the entire concept of time."
"As Pico Iyer pointed out, the act of quitting 'means not giving up, but moving on; changing direction not because something doesn't agree with you, but because you don't agree with something. It's not a complaint...but a positive choice, and not a stop in one's journey but a step in a better direction. Quitting--whether a job or a habit--means taking a turn so as to be sure you're still moving in the direction of your dreams.'"
"There are always people who dare to seek on the margin of society, who are not dependent on social routine, and prefer a kind of free-floating existence." (Thomas Merton)
"There is still an overwhelming social compulsion--an insanity of consensus, if you will--to get rich from life rather than to live life richly."
"Vagabonding is, was, and always will be a private undertaking--and its goal is to improve your life not in relation to your neighbors but it relation to yourself."
"I refuse to spend money on haircuts."
Thoreau: "Money is not required to buy one necessity of the soul."
Kurt Vonnegut: "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."
Antonio Machado: "Paths are made by walking."
Eknath Easwaran: "Excitement and depressions, fortune and misfortune, pleasure and pain are storms in a tiny, private, shell-bound realm--which we take to be the whole of existence. yet we can break out of this shell and enter a new world."
"On the road, you learn to improvise your days, take a second look at everything you see, and not obsess over your schedule."
Robert Pirsig: "I don't want to hurry it. That itself is a poisonous ... attitude. When you want to hurry something, that means you no longer care about it and want to get on to other things."
Ed Buryn: "The challenges you face offer no alternative but to cope with them. And in doing so, your live is being fully lived."
"Vagabonding is like a pilgrimage without a specific destination or goal--not a quest for answers so much as a celebration of the questions, an embrace of the ambiguous, and an openness to anything that comes your way."
"When in doubt about what to do in a place, just start walking through your new environment. Walk until your day becomes interesting."
Buddha: "We see as we are."
"Should sickness or crime catch you off guard, the best response is to humbly accept these things as part of life's adventure."
"Break through the static postcard of fantasy and emerge into the intense beauty of the real. in this way, 'seeing' as you travel is somewhat of a spiritual exercise: a process not of seeking interesting surroundings, but of being continually interested in whatever surrounds you."
"As anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss pointed out fifty years ago, mourning the perceived purity of yesterday will only cause us to miss the true dynamic of today."
"Long-term travel is not the exclusive realm of rebels and mystics but is open to anyone willing to embrace the vivid textures of reality."
"The vagabond frees in himself the latent urge to live closer to the edge of experience."
Annie Dillard: "What we know, at least for starters, is: here we--so incontrovertibly--are. This is our life, these are our lighted seasons, and then we die. In the meantime, in between time, we can see."
November 24, 2008
This is a short read that I intend to read over and over. Basically, it explains that you don't have to be in college or retired to experience long-distance travel. Hiking the Appalachian Trail or spending a year in Thailand is completely do-able for even 30 or 40-somethings. It's a reminder for me not to get caught up in the rat race and the sequence of school, job, marriage, kids, more job, 1 week vacations at a time, retirement, and then death. Although I take away a bit of inspiration and liberation from this book, it's actually a practical piece with tips on how to incorporate long distance travel in your life and not spend eterninty looking forward to a one-week vacation every year. It's my little escape from routine reality.
February 12, 2013
Pure sophistry. Included in this work are maybe two or three genuinely handy bits of advice, mainly found in links to external readings and resources. The rest of these 203 pages are filled with bland bits of armchair philosophy and anecdotes from dozens of other people who are not collecting checks for writing this book.
Perhaps it would not have been so very disappointing to me if I hadn't shelled out the ridiculously overpriced $10 expecting to receive some concrete advice on exactly how to travel long term. Topics of the book include "Keep It Simple", "Keep It Real", "Meet Your Neighbors" and "Be Creative". In between telling you how awesome it is to be doing the things he's not actually telling you how to do, Potts will throw in a couple pages per chapter of links to real resources with actual information - pretty much the sole helpful advice in the entire book. Walt Whitman's descendants should be paid royalties, given how often he is quoted in the book.
Save yourself a few dollars and buy a book from the self-help section if you're really that hard up for platitudes and vapid encouragements. I wouldn't give this book to my worst enemy because half the punishment is that you paid for it.
Perhaps it would not have been so very disappointing to me if I hadn't shelled out the ridiculously overpriced $10 expecting to receive some concrete advice on exactly how to travel long term. Topics of the book include "Keep It Simple", "Keep It Real", "Meet Your Neighbors" and "Be Creative". In between telling you how awesome it is to be doing the things he's not actually telling you how to do, Potts will throw in a couple pages per chapter of links to real resources with actual information - pretty much the sole helpful advice in the entire book. Walt Whitman's descendants should be paid royalties, given how often he is quoted in the book.
Save yourself a few dollars and buy a book from the self-help section if you're really that hard up for platitudes and vapid encouragements. I wouldn't give this book to my worst enemy because half the punishment is that you paid for it.
June 4, 2016
Simplistic reading. Contains a lot of material I've seen reiterated before in other guidebooks; holds a lot of stuff which is well-covered elsewhere; yields a lot of info which should already be common-sense to the experienced (or even mildly-experienced) traveler...so, I confess I'm merely going to skim this thing.
Listen--in my experience--if you have an opportunity to travel; just do it and don't worry all that much about pre-planning or logistics.
Seriously. Don't ever worry yourself too much about getting everything correct and proper and perfect. If you are of that mindset, stay home. Travel is inherently messy, sloppy, dirty, sweaty, awkward, costly, and embarrassing. Embrace this. Revel in it.
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.
Travel is about unpredictability, getting lost, getting detoured, getting ambushed, getting robbed, getting swindled, and having your plans disrupted. Just don't worry about it, that's all. Just roll with whatever comes your way.
You will either get back alive --with great memories and stories to tell--or you will die...but so what? Think about it. Better to die somewhere out there in the wilderness, representing your country and your beliefs--better to perish exploring the world and its peoples, than sitting at home in an easy chair with your feet up. Even if the very worst were to befall you overseas--you and everyone else--will at least recognize that you thrived on adventure!
Get it? Just don't WORRY. Be a man, not a mamby-pamby, hand-wringing, little old lady.
Listen--in my experience--if you have an opportunity to travel; just do it and don't worry all that much about pre-planning or logistics.
Seriously. Don't ever worry yourself too much about getting everything correct and proper and perfect. If you are of that mindset, stay home. Travel is inherently messy, sloppy, dirty, sweaty, awkward, costly, and embarrassing. Embrace this. Revel in it.
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.
Travel is about unpredictability, getting lost, getting detoured, getting ambushed, getting robbed, getting swindled, and having your plans disrupted. Just don't worry about it, that's all. Just roll with whatever comes your way.
You will either get back alive --with great memories and stories to tell--or you will die...but so what? Think about it. Better to die somewhere out there in the wilderness, representing your country and your beliefs--better to perish exploring the world and its peoples, than sitting at home in an easy chair with your feet up. Even if the very worst were to befall you overseas--you and everyone else--will at least recognize that you thrived on adventure!
Get it? Just don't WORRY. Be a man, not a mamby-pamby, hand-wringing, little old lady.
December 24, 2020
3.5|5
I didn’t always agree with the author, but the advice is great and his experiences were, really, goals 🤯
I didn’t always agree with the author, but the advice is great and his experiences were, really, goals 🤯
September 3, 2016
"...deliberately not carrying a camera and sedulously avoiding the standard sights, the anti-tourist doesn't have much integrity or agenda beyond his self conscious decision to stand apart from other tourists."
That comes half way into a book that at first states that vagabonding is all about your personal lifestyle choices and not about contrasting with or criticizing other people's choices. I have read of at least 5 labels for travelers which RP stereo typically dismisses.
The book is filled to the brim with useful tips and resources but the hypocritical criticisms are wearying. Does RP expect people to identify other travelers by these few tip offs label them as pretentious travel snobs and judge them to be "dong it wrong"?
RP spends a lot of time teaching people the correct mindset as he perceives it. I expected more travel tips and less attitude conditioning. Admittedly his advice, condensed into, keep an open mind and travel with spontaneity, seems sound. However it applies to everything else too, so it is hardly vagabonding specific.
The majority of the book is an attempt to cover each contingency wherein open mindedness would be useful and a description of where others have gone wrong.
Very disappointing.
That comes half way into a book that at first states that vagabonding is all about your personal lifestyle choices and not about contrasting with or criticizing other people's choices. I have read of at least 5 labels for travelers which RP stereo typically dismisses.
The book is filled to the brim with useful tips and resources but the hypocritical criticisms are wearying. Does RP expect people to identify other travelers by these few tip offs label them as pretentious travel snobs and judge them to be "dong it wrong"?
RP spends a lot of time teaching people the correct mindset as he perceives it. I expected more travel tips and less attitude conditioning. Admittedly his advice, condensed into, keep an open mind and travel with spontaneity, seems sound. However it applies to everything else too, so it is hardly vagabonding specific.
The majority of the book is an attempt to cover each contingency wherein open mindedness would be useful and a description of where others have gone wrong.
Very disappointing.
May 2, 2013
Great inspirational work on travelling long-term.
The book is filled with links to lots of online resources that are probably out-of-date at this point, so it might not be a great idea to consider this book the Holy Grail of long term travel.
However, it will inspire you to get started in the first place.
The book is filled with links to lots of online resources that are probably out-of-date at this point, so it might not be a great idea to consider this book the Holy Grail of long term travel.
However, it will inspire you to get started in the first place.
Read
June 6, 2017Not a fast moving one but an amazing book. I think I will go back and read parts of it again. There are lots of things to like about the book.
First of all it provides a different view of life. I wish I had something like this in my twenties. I have a friend who spends about 6 months in a year traveling. I did not understand him. After reading this book, I can imagine why he does that.
A few snippets from the book:
This requires a different mindset. To some this comes naturally (the possessions/options dilemma). But I think, it goes a little beyond that. We are addicted to relationships and continuity. We build routines of social interactions. When you are vagabonding, you miss these activities. You need to switch from known/familiar patterns of interactions with familiar people in familiar surroundings to very different somewhat unknown patterns of interactions with strangers.
This book covers various ways of earning your living while traveling and provides extensive links to resources.
I love this quote in the book.
I have mixed feelings about work. I like it but only parts of it. I always wondered how I can do parts of the work that I like and chuck the parts, I don't.
First of all it provides a different view of life. I wish I had something like this in my twenties. I have a friend who spends about 6 months in a year traveling. I did not understand him. After reading this book, I can imagine why he does that.
A few snippets from the book:
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.
But beyond travel, vagabonding is an outlook on life. Vagabonding is about using the prosperity and possibility of the information age to increase your personal options instead of your personal possessions.
Vagabonding is about gaining the courage to loosen your grip on the so-called certainties of this world. Vagabonding is about refusing to exile travel to some other, seemingly more appropriate, time of your life.
This requires a different mindset. To some this comes naturally (the possessions/options dilemma). But I think, it goes a little beyond that. We are addicted to relationships and continuity. We build routines of social interactions. When you are vagabonding, you miss these activities. You need to switch from known/familiar patterns of interactions with familiar people in familiar surroundings to very different somewhat unknown patterns of interactions with strangers.
The more we associate experience with cash value, the more we think that money is what we need to live. And the more we associate And the more we associate money with life, the more we convince ourselves that we’re too poor to buy our freedom.
This book covers various ways of earning your living while traveling and provides extensive links to resources.
I love this quote in the book.
“I don’t like work,” says Marlow in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, “but I like what is in the work— the chance to find yourself.”
I have mixed feelings about work. I like it but only parts of it. I always wondered how I can do parts of the work that I like and chuck the parts, I don't.
A vacation, after all, merely rewards work. Vagabonding justifies it.
July 24, 2016
It certainly lives up to it's title as an "uncommon guide". The book is much more about the idea and the motivations behind our desire to travel and what keeps people on the road. It's a great source of inspiration, especially for anyone who hasn't done much research into lifestyle traveling. The author provides many outside resources for the more travel-specific information, though by now, these resources would need to be updated.
January 29, 2022
Relentlessly and mind-numbingly commonsensical, almost as bad as reminding you not to leave without your passport. I don't think anyone needs to be told "If you're taking a long journey, never take a dump on a bus…especially if it doesn’t have a restroom!" OK, I just made that up, but it's better advice than most of what you'll find in this book. The whole pamphlet is like one of those corny leadership posters with a photo of a guy climbing a mountain, or a kitten hanging from a tree branch and a slogan about how shitty Mondays are.
It’s curious that the author quotes Dale Carnegie early on in the book, because I think his book is a stinking pile of offal just like Carnegie's huckster's bible. Vagabonding is over-packed with fortune cookie wisdom, both by the author, and also the people making guest appearances with equally puerile thoughts on travel.
This book is touted as if it is a manual for how to ditch your life and hit the road, although it’s pretty thin on specifics and big on Tony Robbins-type bluster and wind. I doubt that anyone has used this book to break free from whatever it was that had them chained down, but perhaps for a lot of people this book is the straw that broke the back of their land-locked existence. I think that just about all self-help books are bullshit. If people claim to have done something because of a self-help book, I think that they are undervaluing their own initiative.
I had been doing shit like this before I was even a legal adult, and I continue in the same sort of lifestyle as I approach my 60th birthday. A good question to ask yourself before you set out on a long period of travel is whether or not this is for you. A lot of people tell me that they are jealous of the way I live, but I doubt that would like it if they were to change places. I certainly wouldn’t change lives with them.
Instead of this book, I had Hemingway, and Kerouac, and Steinbeck, and Paul Bowles, among many others. These writers only had a bit less practical information than you will find in this book, but they were infinitely more entertaining.
The bottom line is simple: if you want to do something, then just fucking do it (expletive added so as not to violate Nike copyright).
It’s curious that the author quotes Dale Carnegie early on in the book, because I think his book is a stinking pile of offal just like Carnegie's huckster's bible. Vagabonding is over-packed with fortune cookie wisdom, both by the author, and also the people making guest appearances with equally puerile thoughts on travel.
This book is touted as if it is a manual for how to ditch your life and hit the road, although it’s pretty thin on specifics and big on Tony Robbins-type bluster and wind. I doubt that anyone has used this book to break free from whatever it was that had them chained down, but perhaps for a lot of people this book is the straw that broke the back of their land-locked existence. I think that just about all self-help books are bullshit. If people claim to have done something because of a self-help book, I think that they are undervaluing their own initiative.
I had been doing shit like this before I was even a legal adult, and I continue in the same sort of lifestyle as I approach my 60th birthday. A good question to ask yourself before you set out on a long period of travel is whether or not this is for you. A lot of people tell me that they are jealous of the way I live, but I doubt that would like it if they were to change places. I certainly wouldn’t change lives with them.
Instead of this book, I had Hemingway, and Kerouac, and Steinbeck, and Paul Bowles, among many others. These writers only had a bit less practical information than you will find in this book, but they were infinitely more entertaining.
The bottom line is simple: if you want to do something, then just fucking do it (expletive added so as not to violate Nike copyright).
June 21, 2013
So I didn't exactly expect this one to actually be a GUIDE. I thought it was going to be a novel of some sort.
Having already done my fair share of journeys across the US of A and a few other places, I didn't really take much from this book. Most of my time reading this book was like this: "Yes, I already know that *turns page* Yes, I already know that, duh *turns page* Oh, nice inspirational quote *turns page* Already know that" and so on. I'm not bashing this book by any means, I'm just saying due to my own experience, I've already figured out most of what Potts wrote.
However, I would say Mr. Rolf's book is great for people who don't have a knack for overseas travel or just travel in general. Potts provides probably over 50 different resources to help prepare yourself for long term travel. There are sections in the book about being a senior traveler, a female solo traveler, getting over the language gap somewhere, what to take with you on a long term trip and so on. The book is also full of little comments from other every-day travelers and common sense tips to help a newbie feel comfortable.
Having already done my fair share of journeys across the US of A and a few other places, I didn't really take much from this book. Most of my time reading this book was like this: "Yes, I already know that *turns page* Yes, I already know that, duh *turns page* Oh, nice inspirational quote *turns page* Already know that" and so on. I'm not bashing this book by any means, I'm just saying due to my own experience, I've already figured out most of what Potts wrote.
However, I would say Mr. Rolf's book is great for people who don't have a knack for overseas travel or just travel in general. Potts provides probably over 50 different resources to help prepare yourself for long term travel. There are sections in the book about being a senior traveler, a female solo traveler, getting over the language gap somewhere, what to take with you on a long term trip and so on. The book is also full of little comments from other every-day travelers and common sense tips to help a newbie feel comfortable.
September 22, 2013
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.
Unfortunately, Rolf Potts gives very little specific, actionable advice. Some of the things that he writes are very true, but they are also incredibly general, such as 'be gracious', 'simplify your life by getting rid of excess material things' and 'be willing to adapt to new circumstances'. Those are all true and I strongly agree with them. However, there is very little advice that is of practical use to a traveler.
Some of the advice is already out of date (I'm writing this is 2013). Some of the prices that he describes (such as meals in Brazil or a train ride across China) are no longer correct. He recommends against doing all of your travel planning online, a recommendation which I heartily disagree with. But some of the advice he gives is also a bit silly. He says that you can meet people "merely by strolling around with a smile," which I find to be quite a ludicrous idea. A smile is a good start, but you will need to initiate a conversation or a shared activity rather than merely smiling.
Still, there are plenty of good thoughts in the book. At one point Potts rights about the balance and the difference between researching a location before going, as opposed to being open to the new experiences and the feeling of wonder while traveling.
At some points Potts is a bit ethnocentric, assuming that people all over the world from various different cultures will all welcome a stranger with open arms. He writes that immigrant neighborhoods can be used to get news and information about different countries. Certainly this maybe true for some groups of people, but I know that other cultures normally treat outsiders with suspicion rather than with open arms. He also assumes that all travelers have similar motivations and interests, a strange assumption from a man who has seen so many different cultures and so much human diversity across the globe. In his defense, he does have a bit of recognition of cultural differences when he writes that "Most cultures... aren't familiar with the rigorous American standards of customer service, and few people in the world make a fetish of personal 'rights' quite the way we do in the industrialized west." Potts also briefly describes learning from other people's world views, which I think is incredibly important.
Unfortunately, Rolf Potts gives very little specific, actionable advice. Some of the things that he writes are very true, but they are also incredibly general, such as 'be gracious', 'simplify your life by getting rid of excess material things' and 'be willing to adapt to new circumstances'. Those are all true and I strongly agree with them. However, there is very little advice that is of practical use to a traveler.
Some of the advice is already out of date (I'm writing this is 2013). Some of the prices that he describes (such as meals in Brazil or a train ride across China) are no longer correct. He recommends against doing all of your travel planning online, a recommendation which I heartily disagree with. But some of the advice he gives is also a bit silly. He says that you can meet people "merely by strolling around with a smile," which I find to be quite a ludicrous idea. A smile is a good start, but you will need to initiate a conversation or a shared activity rather than merely smiling.
Still, there are plenty of good thoughts in the book. At one point Potts rights about the balance and the difference between researching a location before going, as opposed to being open to the new experiences and the feeling of wonder while traveling.
At some points Potts is a bit ethnocentric, assuming that people all over the world from various different cultures will all welcome a stranger with open arms. He writes that immigrant neighborhoods can be used to get news and information about different countries. Certainly this maybe true for some groups of people, but I know that other cultures normally treat outsiders with suspicion rather than with open arms. He also assumes that all travelers have similar motivations and interests, a strange assumption from a man who has seen so many different cultures and so much human diversity across the globe. In his defense, he does have a bit of recognition of cultural differences when he writes that "Most cultures... aren't familiar with the rigorous American standards of customer service, and few people in the world make a fetish of personal 'rights' quite the way we do in the industrialized west." Potts also briefly describes learning from other people's world views, which I think is incredibly important.
October 20, 2009
***I keep trying to find a better book for the type of travel I plan, and haven't yet, so I re-read this one... I can't quite upgrade it though, even though part of me wants to. Originally read 1/2008***
This is a pretty simple book, designed for those who have never traveled but always wanted to. By "travel" I'm referring to long-term, low-budget travel. This is definitely not intended for the independently wealthy or those who don't know how to function without all of the conveniences of home. Nor is meant for the person who has a couple of weeks off of work and just wants to get out of town.
The author describes several different approaches to travel and refrains from passing judgment on any of them. He lays out the pros and cons of each style and lets you decide what's right for you. He provides dozens of resources and is continually adding to them on his website. Somehow, he passes on all of this information without making the book feel like a typical travel book.
I took six months off after college and traveled around the U.S. with my then-toddler son. Sustained travel can be difficult even in this country. When my son graduates high school, I plan to try long-term international travel. This book was a great jumping off point for me. I was surprisingly impressed.
This is a pretty simple book, designed for those who have never traveled but always wanted to. By "travel" I'm referring to long-term, low-budget travel. This is definitely not intended for the independently wealthy or those who don't know how to function without all of the conveniences of home. Nor is meant for the person who has a couple of weeks off of work and just wants to get out of town.
The author describes several different approaches to travel and refrains from passing judgment on any of them. He lays out the pros and cons of each style and lets you decide what's right for you. He provides dozens of resources and is continually adding to them on his website. Somehow, he passes on all of this information without making the book feel like a typical travel book.
I took six months off after college and traveled around the U.S. with my then-toddler son. Sustained travel can be difficult even in this country. When my son graduates high school, I plan to try long-term international travel. This book was a great jumping off point for me. I was surprisingly impressed.
August 16, 2022
Stated simply, this book is life changing. Common sense abounds in this short, concise, and comprehensive look at the life of an extended traveler. Not only does it include information on finding places to stay and eat, but also the deeper impact of long term, low maintenance, traveling. From now on this book will always be on my shelf and one of my go to buys for others. It fully addresses the mindset, logistics, finances and emotional needs of the vagabonder hopeful. I’m so thankful to Goodreads for bringing this into my life. Young or old everyone who appreciates travel needs to read this book.
November 26, 2014
Have an itch to quit your job pack a bag and wander the planet for a few years? This handy guide will make that itch that much worse. I miss traveling.
November 13, 2017
Para todos aquellos que hemos llenado nuestras vidas con viajes de largo tiempo y corto presupuesto, "Vagabonding" tal vez no será más que un compilado de consejos que con nuestra propia experiencia hemos estado construyendo a punta de errores y aciertos sin que nadie nos los haya enseñado de antemano. Con cada viaje hemos aprendido que lo hermoso de "mochilear" no es en sí el destino, sino todos los detalles que rodean al propio viaje y que la belleza está en lo imprevisto, en los autobuses averiados en la mitad de la noche de una carretera desconocida, en la hospitalidad de las personas más inesperadas, en la gente que conoces en el camino, en los cambios de planes e itinerarios, en los templos y senderos que no aparecen en las guías de viajes, en el uso de la creatividad más enrevesada para extender el presupuesto y en el simple hecho de sentirse dueño absoluto del propio tiempo y la libertad. Todo esto puede aprenderse sin necesidad de un libro como este, basta con tener un poco de disciplina, ahorrar, investigar y escoger un destino, ponerse en marcha y esperar lo inesperado de la carretera.
A pesar de todo, creo que este libro podrá ayudar enormemente a quienes sueñan con un viaje de largo tiempo pero no han encontrado el suficiente coraje para ponerse en marcha. Hay varios consejos para alistar la travesía, que me parecen interesantes y que harán comprender al lector que el viaje empieza incluso meses antes de dar el primer paso cuando nos decidimos a concretar nuestros planes, empezamos a ahorrar dinero, a estudiar con ansiedad narcótica los mapas de nuestro lugar de destino, cambiamos nuestra actitud y enfocamos nuestros hábitos en pos de nuestro futuro viaje.
Otro punto a favor son las sugerencias bibliográficas que hace Potts. Cada capítulo del libro finaliza con un listado de publicaciones de sitios web que ayudarán en la planificación y ejecución del viaje, con temas que van desde trabajos en el extranjero, salud y seguridad en el exterior, guías de viaje independientes, comunidades de viajeros, voluntariados, entre otros.
Para quienes nos podemos considerar ya como "viajeros expertos", este libro más que un relato de auto-ayuda, sirve para recordarnos por qué hacemos eso, por qué destinamos todo nuestro tiempo, ingenio, recursos y energías para seguir viajando, por qué el significado de nuestras existencias está definido por la carretera, las noches llenas de estrellas, lo desconocido y la libertad de viajar a donde queramos. El mayor mérito de "Vagabonding" fue el de revivir en mi el impulso de recorrer el camino una vez más.
A pesar de todo, creo que este libro podrá ayudar enormemente a quienes sueñan con un viaje de largo tiempo pero no han encontrado el suficiente coraje para ponerse en marcha. Hay varios consejos para alistar la travesía, que me parecen interesantes y que harán comprender al lector que el viaje empieza incluso meses antes de dar el primer paso cuando nos decidimos a concretar nuestros planes, empezamos a ahorrar dinero, a estudiar con ansiedad narcótica los mapas de nuestro lugar de destino, cambiamos nuestra actitud y enfocamos nuestros hábitos en pos de nuestro futuro viaje.
Otro punto a favor son las sugerencias bibliográficas que hace Potts. Cada capítulo del libro finaliza con un listado de publicaciones de sitios web que ayudarán en la planificación y ejecución del viaje, con temas que van desde trabajos en el extranjero, salud y seguridad en el exterior, guías de viaje independientes, comunidades de viajeros, voluntariados, entre otros.
Para quienes nos podemos considerar ya como "viajeros expertos", este libro más que un relato de auto-ayuda, sirve para recordarnos por qué hacemos eso, por qué destinamos todo nuestro tiempo, ingenio, recursos y energías para seguir viajando, por qué el significado de nuestras existencias está definido por la carretera, las noches llenas de estrellas, lo desconocido y la libertad de viajar a donde queramos. El mayor mérito de "Vagabonding" fue el de revivir en mi el impulso de recorrer el camino una vez más.
July 5, 2023
This is one of my favorite books about long-term travel. As a digital nomad, it was fascinating to read about visiting new countries and exploring the world (and your soul).
Solid four stars.
Solid four stars.
February 8, 2015
I'm surprised by the rather scathing remarks here. They all seem to have in common the expectation this this will either be 1) a checklist or 2) a reinforcement of their personal travel identity (or lack thereof).
So, perhaps, you should pick up this book with the expectation of learning a mindset and exploring the paradigm of someone with extensive experience in a subject, not "Travel for Dummies."
As someone with no longterm residence, I found Rolf's exploration valuable and fulfilling. Perhaps its specifically because I've experienced the things that he talks about, the subjects he explores are of interest. But I think there is something in here for the non-vagabond as well.
Rolf explores the questions of how to liberate yourself to live the life you want, how to appreciate where you are when you're there, how to deal with loneliness, how to make friends in strange places, the virtues and limits of companionship and the broken paradigm of "travel" as escape. If you can't get anything out of that, you're either highly enlightened or not trying hard enough.
Look, long term travel isn't a "vacation." It's not a "trip." Long term travel is life, and a lifestyle if you choose to make it one.
I have lived in different cities for ~1-4 months at a time for almost 2 years now, and one of the most annoying statements I hear is "enjoy your trip." I'm not going on a trip. I'm going to another place. To live. Once I get off the airplane, the trip is over. And life begins. And if you've never lived this life, it may be hard to appreciate the discussion of both its virtues and its challenges. But if you're at all interested in getting inside the life and mindset of someone that does, and perhaps incorporating some of that into your own life, I think RP does it justice.
So, perhaps, you should pick up this book with the expectation of learning a mindset and exploring the paradigm of someone with extensive experience in a subject, not "Travel for Dummies."
As someone with no longterm residence, I found Rolf's exploration valuable and fulfilling. Perhaps its specifically because I've experienced the things that he talks about, the subjects he explores are of interest. But I think there is something in here for the non-vagabond as well.
Rolf explores the questions of how to liberate yourself to live the life you want, how to appreciate where you are when you're there, how to deal with loneliness, how to make friends in strange places, the virtues and limits of companionship and the broken paradigm of "travel" as escape. If you can't get anything out of that, you're either highly enlightened or not trying hard enough.
Look, long term travel isn't a "vacation." It's not a "trip." Long term travel is life, and a lifestyle if you choose to make it one.
I have lived in different cities for ~1-4 months at a time for almost 2 years now, and one of the most annoying statements I hear is "enjoy your trip." I'm not going on a trip. I'm going to another place. To live. Once I get off the airplane, the trip is over. And life begins. And if you've never lived this life, it may be hard to appreciate the discussion of both its virtues and its challenges. But if you're at all interested in getting inside the life and mindset of someone that does, and perhaps incorporating some of that into your own life, I think RP does it justice.
September 3, 2021
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page" - Augustine
Great lessons on wealth, time, simplicity, learning, spirituality, and adventure. It's about so much more than travel.
Vagabonding is about being a student of daily life. Much philosophy, very meta. Great kickoff for 2021.
--
Some Quotes
Wealth is found not in what you own, but in how you spend your time. A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.
The biggest challenge in embracing simplicity will be the vague feeling of isolation that comes with it, since private sacrifice doesn’t garner much attention in the frenetic world of mass culture
There’s a bias towards being rich and doing well rather than “living well”
Keep things real, keep learning, be creative, and get into adventures. Earn your freedom all over again and don't set limits. Keep things simple, and let your spirit grow.
Great lessons on wealth, time, simplicity, learning, spirituality, and adventure. It's about so much more than travel.
Vagabonding is about being a student of daily life. Much philosophy, very meta. Great kickoff for 2021.
--
Some Quotes
Wealth is found not in what you own, but in how you spend your time. A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.
The biggest challenge in embracing simplicity will be the vague feeling of isolation that comes with it, since private sacrifice doesn’t garner much attention in the frenetic world of mass culture
There’s a bias towards being rich and doing well rather than “living well”
Keep things real, keep learning, be creative, and get into adventures. Earn your freedom all over again and don't set limits. Keep things simple, and let your spirit grow.
April 18, 2016
This book is a perfect example of why I do not read self help or guide books filled with "how to..."
Vagabonding reminds me of some papers I wrote the night before a paper was due... littered with quotes from great authors because I had no idea what to write. The entire book is filled with quotes and Chicken Soup for the Soul type snippets told by travel lovers. That is the outline for every chapter. It lack creativity and original thought. The advice is also very dated. Times were quite different in 2002. The average student loan, for instance, was $16,000. In 2016 it is now $35,000. Can someone still travel on a small budget, sure, but I would hardly look down on a person for not being willing to work a job for only a year to save for travel. Times are a different.
One of my favorite quotes from the text (which was actually pulled from another travel book) is "These authors write pictures and frame rhapsodies, and lesser men follow and see with the author's eyes instead of his own, and speak with his tongue..." Oh, man. I thought that was rich. This is really why these type of books sell. You do not need substance or talent of any kind to write these books. Just throw a bunch of quotes in that will make people feel good for a bit and add some tips in to every chapter and you, too, can sell 100,000 copies. These books are a drug for some people and I am not buying the ticket nor taking the ride.
If you want to travel long-term, just do it. Find your way and figure it out along the way. You don't need a book like this to give you permission or make you feel good about your decision. You will find that good feeling on your own.
Vagabonding reminds me of some papers I wrote the night before a paper was due... littered with quotes from great authors because I had no idea what to write. The entire book is filled with quotes and Chicken Soup for the Soul type snippets told by travel lovers. That is the outline for every chapter. It lack creativity and original thought. The advice is also very dated. Times were quite different in 2002. The average student loan, for instance, was $16,000. In 2016 it is now $35,000. Can someone still travel on a small budget, sure, but I would hardly look down on a person for not being willing to work a job for only a year to save for travel. Times are a different.
One of my favorite quotes from the text (which was actually pulled from another travel book) is "These authors write pictures and frame rhapsodies, and lesser men follow and see with the author's eyes instead of his own, and speak with his tongue..." Oh, man. I thought that was rich. This is really why these type of books sell. You do not need substance or talent of any kind to write these books. Just throw a bunch of quotes in that will make people feel good for a bit and add some tips in to every chapter and you, too, can sell 100,000 copies. These books are a drug for some people and I am not buying the ticket nor taking the ride.
If you want to travel long-term, just do it. Find your way and figure it out along the way. You don't need a book like this to give you permission or make you feel good about your decision. You will find that good feeling on your own.
April 9, 2019
اول مره سمعت بمصطلح الفاغابوندينغ كان عبر البراء العوهلي الليزاختار السفر بهذه الطريقة، ثم مجددا عنزكريق كاتبي المفضل تيم فيريس للي ذكر بان هذا الكتاب و اسلوب السفر غيروا حياته للأبد. و كان خياري للقراءه ...اثناء سفري تحت اشجار جزيرة بالي!
الكتاب باختصار يتحدث عن اسلوب الترحال الطويل و الغير محدد بوقت، و يشجع على الاستقاله المصغره (ميني ريتايرمنت). يتحدث في فصوله عن "فكر" الترحال و اختلافه عن السفر القصير المليئ بالضغط النفسي و الخسائر الماديه الكبيره جدا لتنظيمها، بدل ان تكون رحله مليئة بالمغامره و الاكتشاف و التطور الذاتي و حتى، اسلوب ظعيشي اكثر رخصا و توفيرا من السكن في بلدك!
شخصيا لاحظت بان اغلب المسافرون العرب و السعوديين يتحفظون كثيرا على التجارب الجديده و يختارون دائما التجارب الامنه، و اتفهم ذلك نوعا ما. رغم ذلك احاول ان اخرج من القوقعة هذه و تجربة الجديد قدر الامكان في التفاصيل الصغيره. الكتاب يعطيك فكر رائع جدا عن ماهي هذه التجارب و امثله عليها و طرق للوصول اليها.
انصح ايضا بزيارة موقع الكتاب، حيث انه مُحدث دائما بمصادر رائعه تنعكس على كل فصل من الكتاب. الموقع بذاته اصبح وجهه دسمه جدا لي!
اقتباسات اعجبتني:
"thus it is important to not go vagabonding on a faigue sense of fashion or obligation vagabonding is not social guessture nor its normal high ground, nor it is political statement demanding correctness of society".
"try as you might, you simply cannot make social rewards of travel match up privates discoveries"
الكتاب باختصار يتحدث عن اسلوب الترحال الطويل و الغير محدد بوقت، و يشجع على الاستقاله المصغره (ميني ريتايرمنت). يتحدث في فصوله عن "فكر" الترحال و اختلافه عن السفر القصير المليئ بالضغط النفسي و الخسائر الماديه الكبيره جدا لتنظيمها، بدل ان تكون رحله مليئة بالمغامره و الاكتشاف و التطور الذاتي و حتى، اسلوب ظعيشي اكثر رخصا و توفيرا من السكن في بلدك!
شخصيا لاحظت بان اغلب المسافرون العرب و السعوديين يتحفظون كثيرا على التجارب الجديده و يختارون دائما التجارب الامنه، و اتفهم ذلك نوعا ما. رغم ذلك احاول ان اخرج من القوقعة هذه و تجربة الجديد قدر الامكان في التفاصيل الصغيره. الكتاب يعطيك فكر رائع جدا عن ماهي هذه التجارب و امثله عليها و طرق للوصول اليها.
انصح ايضا بزيارة موقع الكتاب، حيث انه مُحدث دائما بمصادر رائعه تنعكس على كل فصل من الكتاب. الموقع بذاته اصبح وجهه دسمه جدا لي!
اقتباسات اعجبتني:
"thus it is important to not go vagabonding on a faigue sense of fashion or obligation vagabonding is not social guessture nor its normal high ground, nor it is political statement demanding correctness of society".
"try as you might, you simply cannot make social rewards of travel match up privates discoveries"
February 18, 2017
This book was phennomal, it is one of the best books Ive read in a while! It inspired me to travel the world more and not be so worried about life and money. It made me realize that if one of your passions is traveling, than just start taveling. All you need is a backpack to travel! It gave some really great tips on travleing! One of my hobbies is traveling so I really enjoyed this book! This book was really well written and included some great inforamtion! I recommand this book to who ever likes to travel! (Im for leaving for AZ tomorrow!)
December 19, 2007
If you have already gone on open-ended adventures into the world, the first two-thirds (or more) of this book are a bore. Not until I got to the end did I start to enjoy and appreciate it. If you haven't had the opportunity to travel freely then this is a well-grounded book full of lots of great advice. Highlights (for anyone) include; good quotes, interesting excerpts from other travel writers, and tons and tons of resources, links, and other channels for research and planning.
March 18, 2022
I know it sounds cheesy to talk about the ways in which travel can influence and change you, but it really can and does, especially if you do so with a certain mindset. I believe that this book highlights the type of mindset that is beneficial to have when travelling, particularly for long periods of time, and is a quick read for anyone interested in doing so.
“The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more.”
“The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more.”
July 9, 2009
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.
Review:
All I can think of is travel right now. Not just travel, but moreso exploring, adventure and discovery. Where will my next adventure be? I have that excited feeling right now that only the best possibilities bring us. You know, that one we used to all feel the night before Christmas? Something like that, but for adults. My long term travel adventures have been occurring off and on for the past few years ever since spending eighteen months exploring the south of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Since then the addiction has taken over, and Rolf Potts has fully fired me up again with Vagabonding.
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.
Excitement and inspiration are some of the words that come to mind to describe the feelings that go through the reader’s body as they hear of Rolf’s adventures throughout the world. Whether it was his 9-month adventure through Southern Asia, his experience hitch-hiking through Russia or simply a curious conversation he had a with a farmer in Africa (there’s no doubt he has done all of these), there is something to learn from each. Some of his stories are extreme and have you reading in disbelief whereas just as many make you realize the simplicities in life that we so often let pass us by.
Travel is not something that should be reserved for one or two weeks out of the year where you blow through 10 attractions in just as many days. It is a time to go out and learn from those whom you’ve never come in contact. A time to get out of your comfort zone and be a stanger as you learn how others approach life. To you that might mean spending six months or a year on a beach in Thailand contemplating the “simple life”, or to the more adventurous, it may mean spending a few months with nomads wandering through the Sahara. Or it could be anything in between.
The point is that travel and exploration are a fundamental part of life and development. We can only understand and learn so much from what we read, see on TV or experience in a class room. It is hard to have true compassion and understanding for life outside of your life if you never get out there. My mind was first opened on six month study abroad adventure in Spain and England. I can’t tell you how close I was to not going because I thought I’d be ‘missing’ something back home. I’m grateful for making the right decision ever since. In fact, study and experience abroad should be a requirement in our socitey as far as I’m concerned, but that’s another topic. For those in question, I have simple advice. If you are ever on the fence about going somewhere, just go. You won’t regret it.
The wonderful thing is that these opportunities are available to everyone. They are are not just for the mega-rich as so many of us have been trained to believe. In fact, often times it is overabundance that causes us to lose those first-hand experiences with other cultures. As nice as a five-star hotel is in Oman, it is showing you next to nothing about the Omani culture. Quite often one or two-week long travelers, especially the wealthy, travel far and wide to experience the same nice comforts and amenities and even people as at home. Why not just save the travel time and stay home?
Part of what’s so inspiring about this book is the way Rolf explains the incredible possibilities that exist for long-term travel regardless of our economic situation. Did you hear that? Please read it over again to let it sink in. Regardless of our our economic situation. He often travels on five or 10 dollars a day. How many of you could afford that? Could you imagine traveling using only your daily Starbucks budget? The next time you head out for a party-filled weekend, think of how far that $250 could go at $5/day in Indonesia. That’s almost two months of pure and original exploring! So think about the the next time you tell someone (or worse off, yourself) that you don’t have the money to travel. We all have the money, it’s just a matter of knowing what exists and making it a priority. No excuses. And if you have happen to doubt it, Rolf is quite convincing in his first-hand accounts as well as his seemingly endless resources he provides to guide you through making it possible. Whether that means tips on the cheapest countries and towns, or how to get quick international jobs here and there to fund your way through, you’ll find the advice you need.
I am saddened by the ever-growing frequency and list of excuses that so many young people have. If I had a euro or pent (or whatever currency is relevant on your next journey), for every time I heard someone say “I wish I could do what he’s (or she’s) doing, but…”, I would spend every last day of my life traveling and exploring the world. Then again, maybe I’ll do that anyway.
It is so easy to have excuses for inactivity and simply revert to the norm, especially when our institutions and generations before us tend to tell us that things like vagabonding just aren’t possible. Well it’s becoming clear that they are, and it is those very things that lead to truly great success. I challenge you to find someone who has experienced genuine and extreme success and fulfillment by always listening to others. That’s just it. Be different. Learn from different people, places, things and experiences. After all, our life is made up of one experience to the next. Why not make them unique and wonderful? You, and the people you touch, will no doubt be better for having done it. And the wonderful thing about travel is the more you do it, the more you have to do it. If only all personal development could be like that.
Rolf has given us the inspiration, tools and stories to guide us on an endless string of journey’s. We all have the resources if we want them. So this leaves us only with the important questions. Where will you be heading for the next six months, a year, or more? Who might you meet? How might your life be changed for the better?
Where ever it is, I look forward to running into you.
-Reading for Your Success
Review:
All I can think of is travel right now. Not just travel, but moreso exploring, adventure and discovery. Where will my next adventure be? I have that excited feeling right now that only the best possibilities bring us. You know, that one we used to all feel the night before Christmas? Something like that, but for adults. My long term travel adventures have been occurring off and on for the past few years ever since spending eighteen months exploring the south of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Since then the addiction has taken over, and Rolf Potts has fully fired me up again with Vagabonding.
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.
Excitement and inspiration are some of the words that come to mind to describe the feelings that go through the reader’s body as they hear of Rolf’s adventures throughout the world. Whether it was his 9-month adventure through Southern Asia, his experience hitch-hiking through Russia or simply a curious conversation he had a with a farmer in Africa (there’s no doubt he has done all of these), there is something to learn from each. Some of his stories are extreme and have you reading in disbelief whereas just as many make you realize the simplicities in life that we so often let pass us by.
Travel is not something that should be reserved for one or two weeks out of the year where you blow through 10 attractions in just as many days. It is a time to go out and learn from those whom you’ve never come in contact. A time to get out of your comfort zone and be a stanger as you learn how others approach life. To you that might mean spending six months or a year on a beach in Thailand contemplating the “simple life”, or to the more adventurous, it may mean spending a few months with nomads wandering through the Sahara. Or it could be anything in between.
The point is that travel and exploration are a fundamental part of life and development. We can only understand and learn so much from what we read, see on TV or experience in a class room. It is hard to have true compassion and understanding for life outside of your life if you never get out there. My mind was first opened on six month study abroad adventure in Spain and England. I can’t tell you how close I was to not going because I thought I’d be ‘missing’ something back home. I’m grateful for making the right decision ever since. In fact, study and experience abroad should be a requirement in our socitey as far as I’m concerned, but that’s another topic. For those in question, I have simple advice. If you are ever on the fence about going somewhere, just go. You won’t regret it.
The wonderful thing is that these opportunities are available to everyone. They are are not just for the mega-rich as so many of us have been trained to believe. In fact, often times it is overabundance that causes us to lose those first-hand experiences with other cultures. As nice as a five-star hotel is in Oman, it is showing you next to nothing about the Omani culture. Quite often one or two-week long travelers, especially the wealthy, travel far and wide to experience the same nice comforts and amenities and even people as at home. Why not just save the travel time and stay home?
Part of what’s so inspiring about this book is the way Rolf explains the incredible possibilities that exist for long-term travel regardless of our economic situation. Did you hear that? Please read it over again to let it sink in. Regardless of our our economic situation. He often travels on five or 10 dollars a day. How many of you could afford that? Could you imagine traveling using only your daily Starbucks budget? The next time you head out for a party-filled weekend, think of how far that $250 could go at $5/day in Indonesia. That’s almost two months of pure and original exploring! So think about the the next time you tell someone (or worse off, yourself) that you don’t have the money to travel. We all have the money, it’s just a matter of knowing what exists and making it a priority. No excuses. And if you have happen to doubt it, Rolf is quite convincing in his first-hand accounts as well as his seemingly endless resources he provides to guide you through making it possible. Whether that means tips on the cheapest countries and towns, or how to get quick international jobs here and there to fund your way through, you’ll find the advice you need.
I am saddened by the ever-growing frequency and list of excuses that so many young people have. If I had a euro or pent (or whatever currency is relevant on your next journey), for every time I heard someone say “I wish I could do what he’s (or she’s) doing, but…”, I would spend every last day of my life traveling and exploring the world. Then again, maybe I’ll do that anyway.
It is so easy to have excuses for inactivity and simply revert to the norm, especially when our institutions and generations before us tend to tell us that things like vagabonding just aren’t possible. Well it’s becoming clear that they are, and it is those very things that lead to truly great success. I challenge you to find someone who has experienced genuine and extreme success and fulfillment by always listening to others. That’s just it. Be different. Learn from different people, places, things and experiences. After all, our life is made up of one experience to the next. Why not make them unique and wonderful? You, and the people you touch, will no doubt be better for having done it. And the wonderful thing about travel is the more you do it, the more you have to do it. If only all personal development could be like that.
Rolf has given us the inspiration, tools and stories to guide us on an endless string of journey’s. We all have the resources if we want them. So this leaves us only with the important questions. Where will you be heading for the next six months, a year, or more? Who might you meet? How might your life be changed for the better?
Where ever it is, I look forward to running into you.
-Reading for Your Success
May 22, 2021
A nice book filled with plenty of good advice and suggestions for travelling without a definite agenda in mind. In particular it's refreshing to read excerpts from various writers old and new on this topic and also some specific descriptions of peculiar places the author has visited. Having had a really short vagabonding stint in Vietnam I could highly relate to most of the points raised in the book!
However, the book is primarily from an American perspective and may not be completely relatable to everyone. Nevertheless it's certainly a worthwhile short read for those seeking some inspiration to travel in this fashion in the post-pandemic world!
However, the book is primarily from an American perspective and may not be completely relatable to everyone. Nevertheless it's certainly a worthwhile short read for those seeking some inspiration to travel in this fashion in the post-pandemic world!
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