Wanderlust, Women, and Writing

by

Shelby Engelhardt

 

I often find myself daydreaming, filled with wanderlust. The desire to travel and roam over a foreign land can be overwhelming at times. Lucky for me, who is firmly planted in Northwest Indiana for the time being, relatable female writers are becoming more and more prominent in the travel writing world. Through their journeys, I can explore different areas of the world and dream about my future travel plans. Let me share a few of my favorite reads with you.

 

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

            I love this book and I think my ability to relate to the writer is a major factor in doing so. Rita Golden Gelman, an out of shape, middle-aged woman going through a divorce, is looking for a niche in life. On a trip to Mexico, she finds it. She travels the world and allows others to live out their dreams of doing so through her writing. Gelman recounts 15 years of travel in places such as Bali, New Zealand, and Thailand

 

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald

            After traveling to India once, all Sarah Macdonald could recall was the filth and odor that she encountered; however, her husband’s acceptance of a job lands them back in India. She is not thrilled by the prospect of living in this country. Tagging along, she garners a new love for modern New Delhi.  Macdonald, an atheist, becomes enchanted by India’s religions. This book is an easy read, is honest, and often comical.

 

Somebody’s Heart is Burning: A Woman Wanderer in Africa by Tanya Shaffer

            After turning down her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Tanya Shaffer sets off to travel through Africa. Like many, Shaffer tries to travel as cheap as possible and accomplishes this by volunteering in many of the communities she visits. Her travels take her to Mali, Kenya and Ghana. Her descriptions of the people she meets along the way are captivating. Shaffer has an audaciousness in her writing that keeps the reader wanting more.

 

Traveling in foreign lands requires wit and fortitude, neither of which are lacking in wandering women writers.  The next time you are daydreaming and need to fill that wanderlust that sets in, pick up a woman’s travelogue and quench it. Or maybe, one of their tales will spark the planning of your own adventure.