Campaign for the American Reader: Pg. 69: "Vagabonding"

Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, has reported from all over the world for the likes of National Geographic Traveler, Conde Nast Traveler, Slate.com, Outside, Surfer, Outpost, the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, the Guardian (U.K.), and National Public Radio. He is currently a travel columnist for Yahoo! News.

I invited Rolf to put Vagabonding to the "page 69 test." Here is his reply:

Vagabonding is a book about how to take time off from your workaday life to travel for an extended period of time. For some people, this might mean embarking on a one-year dream-trip around the world. For others, it might mean taking off three months to study cooking (or meditation, or kick-boxing) in Thailand. Other folks might be considering an early “retirement” to live part-time and telecommute from Argentina.

Whatever the specific case, my book encourages people to actualize their travel dreams and combat the myths (“it’s too expensive”; “it’s too dangerous”; “I can’t make time for it”; etc.) that might keep them from making those dreams a reality. Vagabonding is as much a philosophical primer as a practical one, and the philosophy at its core is the idea that time – not “things” – is all we own in life, and how you spent that time is ultimately what is most important in life.

Ironically, then, page 69 of Vagabonding is more practical than philosophical: It is a discussion of managing money before and during travel. In dealing with budgeting, I don’t give a lot of discrete advice, because I know that people come from different economic backgrounds and have different spending habits. Instead, I encourage readers to plan conservatively, and realize that travel experience itself will help them to become more informed and economical travelers:

“As for predicting your vagabonding expenses, don't get too hung up on the minute details of budgeting, since you'll have a better feel for things once you're actually traveling. To be safe, keep your cost projections on the conservative side – and don’t forget to estimate for visa fees, airport taxes, souvenirs, and occasional “luxury” indulgences (nice hotels, fancy dinners, scuba diving lessons, etc.). If you think you have just enough money to travel for six months, for example, plan on traveling for four months. Then, if you have money remaining after those four months, consider the two (or possibly more) extra months a bonus. As a rule, it’s best not to travel your way down to your last dime – even if you plan on getting road jobs from time to time. Set aside a few hundred dollars as an emergency fund – and resist the urge to find “emergencies” at carpet bazaars and full-moon parties.”

Many thanks to Rolf for the input.

Click here to read an excerpt from Vagabonding.

Among the praise for the book:

"Potts encourages us to think about travel in a way that has been almost lost. He wants us to wander, to explore, to embrace the unknown and, finally, to take our own damn time about it. I think this is the most sensible book of travel related advice ever written."
— Tim Cahill, founding editor of Outside

"Vagabonding is a crucial reference for any budget wanderer."
— TIME Magazine

"Tired of clinging to that guidebook like it's a security blanket? Try reading something that tells you how to appreciate the art of travel rather than how to spend money. [Vagabonding] will inspire rather than dictate."
— Robert Young Pelton, in National Geographic Adventure

"For all those that have the travel itch, this is the perfect book with which to scratch."
— Outpost Magazine

"The book is a meditation on the joys of hitting the road for months or years at a time. It's also a primer for those with a case of pent-up wanderlust seeking to live the dream."
— USA Today