BOOK REVIEW: Vagabonding An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long Term World Travel by Rolf Potts

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Entrepreneurship

Pages: 224, Kindle Edition
Published: January 2002
Cover Rating: 3/5

“Long-term travel isn’t about being a college student; it’s about being a student of daily life. Long-term travel isn’t an act of rebellion against society; it’s an act of common sense within society. Long-term travel doesn’t require a massive “bundle of cash”; it requires only that we walk through the world in a more deliberate way.”

Rolf Potts travelled more than 60 countries across six continents. He is the author of Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, a book that fascinated me a for long time before I decided to finally give it a read. All that excitement was worth.

Vagabonding is a book about travel. It offers suggestions based on personal experiences and resources available at hand for a reader/traveller to prepare themselves mentally and physically. He talks about the choice and settling on the decision of long-term travel independently and leaving behind the traditional lifestyle which mostly consist of 9 to 5. His words and wisdom will change someone’s perception if any, about travelling and working together is reserved for wealthy students or dropouts. He emphasis enough on money which he considers is the number one factor that might hold anyone to extend their dreams but does point out that money has nothing to do with travelling. You earn, you save, you travel. These tips on working while travelling overseas, minimizing your living expenses and though most of the resources might be outdated since the publication of the book and a drastic change in last 15 years but the context of that is very helpful.

You can check this Reddit AMA where Rolf answered many questions from travel/nomad seekers.

Potts has a different way to motivate his reader. He is very calm and practical about the context he covers up in his words about the long-term travel. He insists his reader to keep an open mind and practice the ability to adapt to new situations. He then discusses how Vagabonding is an uncommon outlook and attitude about life. I think, from current perspective, more jobs are getting remote and there are different ways to earn money from your laptop in you niche than the original publication of the book. There is no single country that is a land of opportunities. In fact, the world is now a big mass of opportunities.

Another point I like about this book is its suggestion on how to travel. There are main three takeaways from this:

• Travel simply, with bare necessities to live. Leave behind the stuff that bounds you to various chains and holds you back. Simplicity is underrated, a neglected commodity but at the sametime is priceless.
• Travel slowly, and engage with your surroundings. Watch and listen, a traveller is an active body which is different from being a tourist.
• Travel without an a strict agenda and you will do what feels right. There should not be any rush to check off a list just for the sake of getting things done. Your attention is more worth than that.

For me this book has been a real charmer and one of the best I have read on the context of travelling/nomad. I recommend this book you if you are preparing for vagabonding yourself or have an wandering urge to travel for a long period of time and need help in finding time and freedom to do it. I think, this one will also prove a great companion if you are already on the road.

5 out of 5! Recommended!

What does vagabonding mean to you? Have you taken long term journey or you travelling currently? Share your experiences. 

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