Mary Schmitt once said, “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.” Digital nomads know all to well that our passion and drive in life also happens to come with a hefty price tag. Sometimes reading about traveling is the next best thing we can do at the time. Diving into novels, city guides, and memoirs of successful nomads can provide us with priceless knowledge and inspiration. Some travelers even divulge that the moments they chose the nomad path took place between the words on a page of someone’s great adventure.
So let’s get inspired! Put that amazon prime subscription to good use and order your next motivational fix from this outstanding list.
Wild, Cheryl Strayed
“I’d finally come to understand what it had been: a yearning for a way out, when actually what I had wanted to find was a way in.”
Cheryl Strayed
The hardships and lessons Cheryl so eloquently weaves throughout this novel are enough to make you cry. She is a force of nature and instills in her readers a humbling sense of bravery, independence, and empowerment. Be careful, you may find yourself packing your REI 40 L pack and driving straight to the Pacific Crest Trail after reading.
Amazon Link: WildWhat I Was Doing While You Were Breeding, Kristin Newman
“I wanted love, but I also wanted freedom and adventure, and those two desires fought like angry obese sumo wrestlers in the dojo of my soul.”
Kristin Newman
Not only is this memoir easy to read, it is so addicting you may find yourself reading the entire book in one night (I know I did). You will find yourself actually laughing out loud as you are transported by each word into her memories. The book is relatable, hilarious, and a great read for any woman struggling to reconcile her love of traveling with the societal ideals of getting married, having children, and settling down.
Amazon Link: What I was doing while you were breedingIn A Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson
“Perhaps it’s my natural pessimism, but it seems that an awfully large part of travel these days is to see things while you still can.”
Bill Bryson
Infamous for his quick wit, Bryon paints a stunning picture of the forbidden lands few dare to explore down under. The admiration he has for this harsh environment is palpable. Readers are treated to a late 1990’s perspective of Australia that is so profound and informative; it’s still commemorated as being one of Australia’s best guidebooks nearly 20 years later.
Amazon Link: In A Sunburned CountryVagabonding, Rolf Potts
“The value of your travels does not hinge on how many stamps you have in your passport when you get home…”
Rolf Potts
Potts uses his renowned writing style to entice readers into a different way of traveling. Page by page, he blazes a trail for those nomads that want a more meaningful journey than the typical vacation. Vagabonding is an excellent find for anyone interested in taking an extended hiatus to explore on a budget.
Amazon Link: VagabondingThe Beach, Alex Garland
“If I’d learnt one thing from traveling, it was that the way to get things done was to go ahead and do them. Don’t talk about going to Borneo. Book a ticket, get a visa, pack a bag, and it just happens.”
Some of you may have seen the film adaptation of Garland’s hit featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. Both the novel and movie explore the way travelers may idealize the art of “getting lost”. Only to discover that the utopia they think they have found is riddled with its own, sometimes worse, problems. The secrets Garland’s protagonist discovers on his journey to find “paradise” create a dark and intriguing read.
Amazon Link: The BeachInto the Wild, Jon Krakauer
“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure.”
The true story of Christopher McCandless is a controversial one in many reader circles. Many speculate that his tragic death could have been avoided with more preparation and survival smarts. Regardless, these pages are beloved because of how they encapsulate the raw sense of getting away and into a simpler state of being that so many nomads have burning in their hearts.
Amazon Link: Into the WildBe a Free Range Human, Marianne Cantwell
“What if you believed that those characteristics that the beige army (or an 8-year-old kid) say are ‘too weird’ are the very things that deserve to be treasured?”
Marianne Cantwell
Marianne not only talks the talk, she walks the walk. She uses her wealth of knowledge and personal experience to show cubicle dwellers how to transition into a career and life they love. This publication acts as a guidebook; incorporating exercises to actively involve the reader in their own process of cultivating strengths into a skill people will pay money for.
Amazon Link: Be a Free Range HumanHow to Travel The World on $50 a Day, Matt Kepnes
“As a whole, the world is no more or less safe than any part of the United States.”
Matt Kepnes
Budget conscious nomads around the world are in love with Kepnes’ New York Times Best Seller. Matt dives into tips and tricks spanning over a plethora of regions that are both useful and easy to digest. Readers will be gaining knowledge straight from the source, as the author originally began his journey using his own travel blog, Nomadic Matt. Readers have speculated that this book’s usefulness is aimed in particular at budget travelers who are just starting out.
Amazon Link: How to Travel the World on $50 a DayThe Suitcase Entrepreneur, Natalie Sisson
“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”
Natalie Sisson
This is a great read for aspiring digital nomads looking to become entrepreneurs of their own online business. Natalie uses easy to follow tips and tricks that are business focused to help her readers save money and most poignantly, capitalize on the freedom they so crave.
Amazon Link: The Suitcase EntrepreneurDigital Nomads: How to Live, Work and Play Around the World, André Gussekloo and Esther Jacobs
“We are at the brink of a revolution that changes the way we live, work and play. And the good news is – you can be a part of it. Life doesn’t have to be a rat race.”
André Gussekloo and Esther Jacobs
Authors Esther and André are commended in providing practical and useful resources throughout this novel, as the reader transitions to a digital nomad lifestyle. It’s a particularly great find for aspiring nomads looking to gain advice on finances, taxes, banking, and legal hurdles. Readers will also appreciate the transparency in this book regarding challenges and struggles you will most certainly face as a nomad.
Amazon Link: Digital Nomads: How to Live, Work and Play around the WorldIt is our sincere hope that this list will not only ignite that exploring fire within you; but will also provide realistic, comprehensive, and relatable information to help you through your digital nomad journey. These top picks will no doubt incite travel and remote working inspirations. Grab that old highlighter and bookmark, it’s time to get reading!
If you feel like a book is missing, don’t hesitate to share your best books for digital nomads in the comments!
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