Vagabonding: a great read - but when?

"Vagabonding," as Ed Buryn bluntly put it forty years ago, "is not for comfort hounds, sophomoric misanthropes, or poolside faint-hearts, whose thin convictions won't stand up to the problems that come along." In saying this, Buryn wasn't being a snob. After all, vagabonding requires sacrifices, and its particular sacrifices are not for everyone. Rolf Potts, Vagabonding. Random House, 2016.

When is the best time to read the instruction manual?

I would argue that it is after you have tried to so something and had less than total success. Then picking up the manual or watching the YouTube how-to video actually makes some sense. But maybe that is just me.

My first attempt at vagabonding (traveling independently for an extended period of time) was a somewhat limited success, as readers of this blog know. Three months of wandering through SE Asia turned into a trip of a bit less than two months, even with a lovely family get-together in the mix.

While I immensely enjoyed most of my time spent away from home, I also experienced loneliness and found out some things about myself I had not realized. (See What I've learned through travel.)

I recently finished Rolf Potts wonderful book Vagabonding:An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel. Less a "how-to" than a "why-to," Potts writes mostly in this short guide how to psychologically prepare oneself for the pains andd pleasures of the road. While there are fantastic lists of links to pragmatic online resources in each chapter, the book uses quotes, personal experiences, and examples from the adventures of the author, historical figures, and fellow travelers to define "adventure" less as a physical act and more of a philosophical point of view. 

As I read this little guide, I alternately asked myself what might I have done differently to have made my vagabonding more meaningful (packed lighter, got off the beaten path more, tried more foods, talked to more locals) and asked myself do I really have the right personality to be a vagabond (love my routines, dislike uncertainty, queasy about strange food)?

For me, reading Potts after spending two months on the road gave me context for his advice. If you have ever entertained the idea of extended travel, long-term backpacking, a gap year, or just getting off the tourist path, I highly recommend this book. Read it before you go, but hang on to your copy. You will want to read it again when you get back.

My next vagabonding adventure will be more successful for having read this book.