Call You When I Land

by Nikki Vargas

Call You When I Land is a soul-stirring memoir from Colombian immigrant and Fodor’s Travel Senior Editor, Nikki Vargas, whisking us through the countries that brought her new love, self-discovery, and the inspiration to launch the internationally-sold women's travel magazine, Unearth Women.

At twenty-six years old, life looked a certain way for Nikki. She’d settled in New York City, had landed in a promising advertising career, and was newly engaged to her college sweetheart. But between corporate happy hours and wedding dress fittings, she couldn’t shake a deep underlying sense of imposter syndrome, a voice telling her that she was rocketing towards a future that didn’t look like her. And so, she bought a plane ticket.

Taking her from the street food stalls of Vietnam to the cascading waterfalls of Argentina, Nikki whisks readers away on a coming-of-age journey set against the backdrop of stunning locales. Whether chasing an unlikely career dream around the globe, investigating a mysterious unsolved murder in her family, grappling with heartbreak, navigating new love, or learning how to celebrate success and recover from failure—Call You When I Land is a memoir that promises to both inspire and transport readers.

Told in transporting detail and candid reflections, Call You When I Land takes the familiar story of a woman going abroad to find herself and turns it on its head, as the act of traveling becomes, for Nikki, a life-transforming endeavor—and ultimately a tool to champion women’s voices across the world.

Genres: Travel, Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Biography Memoir, Romance

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

Originally from Colombia, Nikki Vargas is the author of CALL YOU WHEN I LAND (HarperCollins, 2023), named a best women's memoir by Glamour Magazine, selected as a Staff Pick by Apple Books, and a top 50 bestseller by Hudson Books. CALL YOU WHEN I LAND has been recommended by Good Morning America, Cosmopolitan, Real Simple, Forbes, Goodreads, and more.

Vargas is also the co-author of WANDERESS (Penguin Random House, 2022), a women's travel guide available in stores now. In addition, she is a Senior Editor for Fodor's Travel and the founder of Unearth Women, a women's travel publication.

Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Good Morning America, CNN, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, and more. Beyond her writing, Nikki has spoken at various travel conferences, including the Women’s Travel Fest, Women in Travel Summit, Latino Travel Fest, and more.

Nikki is represented by the Literary Division of the Paradigm Talent Agency.

IG: niknakvargas
TikTok: authornikkivargas
Twitter: msnikkivargas

Reviews

[Julie Bouchonville · Rating 2 out of 5]

So there's this lady. She cheats on her fiancé, multiple times. She cancels their wedding days before it happens, even though she has known for months the relationship isnt working.
She wants to travel yet despises other travelers (dont even get her started on tourists).
She tells you aaaall about her love life (i dont have anything against straight people but come on, do i need it shoved down my throat?), feeling apparently that if she didnt know what she wanted, you probably will.

She starts a company with zero idea on how that works then is super bitter when it fails.
She has... anecdotes. Honestly, the writing isnt bad, quite forgettable, but it's litteraly like listening to a friend of a friend telling you about their holidays. She saw this, she ate that, she felt this. There were lions/stray dogs/apes/birds/local fauna.

So it's basically "woman with privileges takes dumb decisions and goes on holidays". Which is... not the most interesting story ? It's hardly a story, really. Nor is it exceptionaly well written. Im quite perplexed as though why it made such a big splash.

[Allie Cho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad eat pray love. And eat pray love wasnt even good

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, I guess I expected this book to be heavier on the travel and much lighter on the author's relationship drama. I had no clue who the author was prior to reading this book so someone who is already a fan (perhaps from her blogging days) will likely enjoy it more... as long as you're interested in her love life. The failed magazine, Unearth Women, sounds like an interesting premise, but having to slog through the drawn out story of her first failed engagement and calling off the wedding mere days before the big day kind of ruined this for me. I can't even say this book could be encouraging for others hoping to break into travel writing as most people don't have someone else to pay their living expenses (especially in NYC!) while they ignore their own debts, taking free press trips in exchange for blogging about a place while only earning a minimal amount for paid articles. I did enjoy what travel stories were included, but this book is certainly much more memoir than travel book.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Rena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like starting a book off with how you're cheating on your finace but it's somehow ok because you love traveling (??) is a weird choice. I wanted this book to get better but the author was such a garbage person throughout. I hope that things have changed since then and she's happier and as a result not lying to people she supposedly loves, but it made it hard to enjoy the book.

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t believe this author believed her life story was worthy of a memoir? I found this book scrolling thru my library app and I honestly wish I never picked it up. The story is so uninteresting it hurts. Author thinks she is finding herself and is trying to get at this grandeous cosmic realization that traveling is the answer to all of her life’s questions, and somehow that makes her different and unique enough to write a book about her life? I really did not get this one.

[Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

“What had it all meant? In the end I couldn’t say what I’d taken away … only that this experience had carried me forward in a way I couldn’t imagine.”

As a mostly true story of this author’s experience, I admire her honesty and vulnerability, and that she persevered through failures. Even so, I cannot agree that this book is inspiring. I failed to see significant character growth even by the end of the book, as she continued to display privilege and naivety. I was bothered by her insistence that she was different from and better than other travel bloggers or tourists especially without any evidence to show for it. Any chance of me relating to this character or appreciating her journey was lost as she emphasized that all the mistakes she made and people negatively affected by her choices was worth it because of where she is now. That kind of “everything happens for a reason” justifying past behavior doesn’t sit well with me.

The writing style seemed immature, similar to how me and my classmates wrote essays in high school language arts class. The abundance of water metaphors also seemed unnecessary. I can usually accept immature writing if I find value in the story.

The most interesting part of the book was about the story of her great aunt’s murder and interviewing a member of FARC. Unfortunately this was only briefly mentioned in one chapter.

[Grace Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh buddy. I’ve been thinking of writing this review the whole time I read the book. If I was harsher, I’d probably give it two stars.
The narrator is not, at least to my understanding, someone I’d like in real life. From the moment I started reading I found her unrelatable and my hopes for the book dropped drastically.
Her writing… as one friend said: she uses SO many adjectives. It kept reminding of what I’d try to teach 3rd graders in writing, breaking down a moment into incredible detail. And in some ways, I did appreciate it but it mostly just felt hokey. It was missing something, like it didn’t have personality.
The redeeming qualities that I have to give it credit for: hearing someone’s life is always interesting to me. Hearing about unfamiliar (to me) places is also interesting, and I appreciated the history/facts she’d weave in. Also, I did finish it. And last but not least, I’m sure there’s some saying out there about how haters still drive attention and views. It’s me. I’m the hater.

[S D · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may have been the worst book I’ve read in years. I didnt care at all about the characters, and I had to force myself to finish. Time I won’t get back.

Overly detailed and lacking any real point of view. A combination of soap opera silly and lifetime movie plot.

Don’t waste your time.

[Bethany Gorski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings on this, because I did really like the author's journey and she has GREAT writing, I felt transported to each travel destination.

The pacing of the book in the first half was very choppy, with some repeated parts while we bounced around in her life. And the MAIN thing - the blatant cheating on her partner with seemingly very little remorse?? I understand girl was going through it but the way this was written was so wild to me.

[Anna Witt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Her cheating gave me anxiety. Her woe is me attitude was so annoying. There were wayyyyyy too many adjectives. I felt like she talked about something for so long before telling us why it was relevant or important. Only reason I gave it 2 and not 1 is because for some reason I kept listening until it was over.

[bookandachai · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What is it you have to say?"

Maybe I am a much bigger nonfiction fan than I realized because I was *engrossed* with Call You When I Land - a memoir by Nikki Vargas.

And she's younger then me! But oh has she lived. Nikki documents, in detail, her stint as a runaway bride, a travel blogger, a daughter, a sister, a fiancé, a student at Indiana, and the creator of the magazine Unearth Women. Nikki documents ALL the highs and low of her incredible life and I can't WAIT to see what she does next.

Now lets dust off that passport and book our next flight ...

[Agatha Donkar Lund · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now that I've finished this, I'm feeling slightly more kindly about it, but the fact of the matter is, the audiobook experience was several long weekend walks of me listening to it and yelling at my husband about how furious I was with the author - and I still feel that way, mostly. This book didn't strike me as a good journey or a good story, it mostly just made me think that the author was desperately unhappy - even when she got her purported happy ending - and that she had no idea how to even approach changing that. When most of the inflection points in your life involve you getting absolutely hammered and making reckless and irresponsible decisions that you later regret, perhaps you should reconsider your relationship to alcohol and also go to therapy.

So yeah. I wanted to love this and I really, really did not. But I did add some places to my travel bucket list, so there's that.

[Elizabeth Garzon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars!

I had higher hopes for this - Colombian female writer with wanderlust? My jam! But really, it did end up falling a bit flat and I wasn't sure what the ethos or main narrative of this book was. Unfortunately this memoir had my... pet peeve in memoirs: it felt like a resume at times. I hate when that happens, and I don't like reading about personal work-related accomplishments for the sole purpose of marketing yourself. Feels icky to me! But there were some good tidbits, and I did enjoy some travel stories.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio. Perhaps 2.5. I found her indecisiveness about engagement/wedding annoying and that set the tone for me. To travel extensively like this author does and write about it is a privilege. Do not whine (other tourists, poor bedding, no showers, for example) and expect sympathy.

Best quote = “Dogs sunbathing in a shady corner” 🤨


Epilogue was overwrought.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niki Vargas has written an open no holds barred memoir sharing her travels but most of all her lives up and downs.She writes about her love affairs her professional life her creativity her magazine.I found her life story interesting and enjoyed her memoir #netgalley#harlequinbooks.

[Rachel White · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a love for travel that can’t be satiated, you need to read this one. Nikki endlessly pursued her dreams of being a travel writer after many setbacks. I loved learning more about her journey and seeing her perseverance and the way she kept pushing through to get what she truly desired. GREAT memoir!

Thank you NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for this advanced copy 🥳

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The memoir of a young woman finding her life path on the backdrop of her travels. This book is mainly focused on the author herself. I was hoping for more of a travelogue, so this was somewhat disappointing for me.

[Tonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call Me When You Land is part memoir and part travel blog and I enjoyed both.
Vargas is refreshingly honest about her relationships and finding and losing love. I related to those years in my twenties figuring out what I wanted in life both professionally and personally and how confusing and frustrating it can be.
Whatever her stage was in life, she found a way to travel. I enjoyed her descriptions of the places, people and food from Vietnam to Argentina and Bali. She is a great example of fighting to live our life’s passion. I enjoyed this one! I received a free ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Lani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call You When I Land is a quick read with beautifully written travel stories. I really appreciate that the author focuses on women's stories and her descriptions of the places she visits really transports the reader to those locations. That being said, there were several parts of this book that did not sit well with me. The author shares stories from her life that show her immaturity and entitlement. Right at the start, she makes decisions that irritate me so my first impressions were overall low. While I appreciate her honesty and even the growth and courage she shows at times, I struggled with relating to the author or feeling any sympathy when things didn't go her way. For example, she had a lot of complaints about working a full-time job with only 10 vacation days and not a lot of income but yet somehow she spent a seemingly significant amount of time traveling to exotic places.

Overall, I enjoyed the travel writing of this book but struggled with the author's personal life.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Does this author love to travel? Yes. Does this author dream about being a travel writer? Yes. How do I know? Because she reiterates both things on every single page. And we get to follow along slowly, slowly, with lots of bumps in the road, as she finally realizes her dream not only of becoming a travel writer but also a travel editor. There is lots of romance angst (and infidelities), and lots of romance exuberance. I almost DNF, but I was curious enough to know if she would ever get out of her numerous predicaments to finally feel satisfied with the many gifts/privileges/talents she seems to hold.

[Tara F · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not covering maybe a span of years long enough to feel like a memoir, the amount of life lived in that time surely qualifies. Vargas lets us in on a wart’s-eye-view of parts of her life, which feel at once vicariously embarrassing and yet cringely relatable. Although the discussions of her career are somewhat repetitive, the descriptions of travel and wanderlust are insightful and engaging- she made me, much like her younger self- want to run out and leap onto the next train to anywhere, lol.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy!

[Despina · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading Alice Carriere’s and Lara Love Hardin’s memoirs recently, with their impeccable writing, I almost DNF’d this book. 😬

I enjoyed hearing about Vargas’s travels and professional endeavors. And, I also enjoyed hearing about her family life growing up and her background.

However, a lot of time was spent discussing her failed engagement, infidelities, and what led her to her current relationship. I expected more travel, more depth about what drove her career and her experiences as a travel writer. That was missing, and so this book fell short for me.

[Micaela Burke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think maybe I’m listening to this book at a weird time in my life ( mom two kids/demanding job) but I didn’t enjoy this one. I’m a huge fan of travel and really loved learning about the unearthed women magazine. I appreciate the author sharing so much of her personal story but also found it a bit repetitive, dramatic and self centered. I found myself rolling my eyes repeatedly. Maybe I need to go to Igazu and scream into a waterfall lol. That being said if you love travel and eat pray love type stories I would encourage you to give this one a chance.

[Rachel Pridham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get behind this book and almost decided not to finish it!

I have mixed feelings about Nikki's story. I was inspired to travel and then insanely annoyed by her life choices. As someone who has had the itch to travel for as long as I can remember, her story lit a fire under me to get inspired and figure out where I want to go next. Unfortunately, her life choices in the love life were so insanely out of pocket that I wanted to throw everything against a wall and just yell at her.

I don't know. I wish I hadn't read it at all.

[Donna Luu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have read the real reviews instead of the published ones because the author does not have a compelling story. A version of eat, pray, love, but less likeable.

[Alexis David · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Over the years my relationship to travel had evolved. From a love affair, to an addiction, to a career... in many ways my love for travel mirrored Shel Silverstein's, 'The Giving Tree.' Throughout the years I kept taking from it, kept demanding success of it, kept emptying it's well... Only now do I turn towards it as one would an old friend, not cause I need a story or social media post, but because in the past decade, travel has given me everything I value most. Experiences, a career, love friendship, even my pets."

"I wish I could reach back through the years and hug my twenty-something self. I imagine running up to her on that dirt packed jungle trail, her backpack hanging off her shoulders, her eyes wide from having just screamed into the trees that she didn't want to get married, and the daunting realization of what she'd have to do next. I'd throw my arms around her and say "don't worry, I promise it will all be ok. Better than ok, actually."

Nikki, I am certain your younger self would be proud of you

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my LORD, this was the exact book I needed. This is a memoir about a twentysomething woman who pursued her career in travel writing while navigating her love for self and others along the way. Take what you need from it, but I’d recommend to any twentysomething girl reckoning with the path of least resistance and the path that will lead to a deeply fulfilling life. A great memoir!

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist]

It took me a while to pick this up, and then I couldn't put it down. Although Vargas is younger than I am, I saw a lot of myself in her as she sought to find herself through travel. The book did jump around in time a fair amount and it wasn't always clear when in her narrative a story was, but still an excellent listen.

[Meggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call You When I Land by Nikki Vargas was a beautifully written, inspiring memoir.

I was initially intrigued by this book because of it's title and cover. I love to travel and Nikki Vargas does an incredible job at sharing her travels around the world. However, she also touches on other key themes like love, career, family, and more.

I am always so moved that authors like Nikki are willing to share their stories in such a raw and open way. I'm so grateful she did. There is a lot to take away from her story and I know it will move many people. Her story will inspire you to travel, evaluate your goals, take risks, and follow your heart.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: November 7, 2023.

[Andrea Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not typically a big memoir fan , but love travel and this sounded interesting. Nikki Vargas has had an unusual path to her success and finding her happy place in both her personal and professional life. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.