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A Journey of One's Own: Uncommon Advice for the Independent Woman Traveler
Originally published in 1992, with a second edition in 1996, A Journey of One’s Own has sold over68,000 copies. Praised by travel experts across the spectrum, from Glamour to The Women’s Review of Books , from The Whole Earth Catalog to American Express , U.S. News and World Report , and Parade , and written about in over forty major dailies, A Journey of One’s Own has become an established title in the travel book category. Although geared to women and including much information specific to women (how to deal with sexual harassment, for example) A Journey of One’s Own has also found an audience with men who value the extensive information and excellent advice that is not gender-specific. The third edition sports a livelier and more compact text design, a smaller format, and shorter page count. The author has thoroughly updated the material and added new sections on health, safety, and traveling during times of international upheaval. Yet, the basic structure has been excerpts from many women’s travel stories are interlaced with -detailed advice on practical matters (how to stay healthy, be safe, avoid theft, etc.). And the author’s own stories, which reflect on political and cultural explorations from her extensive travels, are engaging and thoughtful, and add depth to discussion of issues such as getting acquainted with new cultures, accepting hospitality, bargaining, and communicating without language. "Thalia Zepatos is . . . teacher, spokeswoman, and heroine of sorts to a generation of travelers, both women and men, who understand travel as more than the periodic recreational migration that our commercial culture promotes."— Seattle Times "Superlatives generally make us suspicious, but we must This is THE best women’s travel resource we’ve seen, ever. . . . It’s authoritative; it’s supportive; it’s amusing; it really does have it all."— New York Daily News Thalia Zepatos is the author of Adventures in Good Company and Women for a A Grassroots Guide to Activism and Politics .
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
6 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 10, 2010
Curling up with this book again, eleven years and a couple of lifetimes after I first read it. I wish every woman would read this book.
Earlier: I read this book just before I went to Europe the first time--it gave me so much confidence and enthusiasm for traveling alone. This is probably one of the few books that really did change my life in a concrete way.
Earlier: I read this book just before I went to Europe the first time--it gave me so much confidence and enthusiasm for traveling alone. This is probably one of the few books that really did change my life in a concrete way.
September 15, 2013
I enjoyed the writing style. I found the advice uncommon and uncommonly interesting. But ultimately, what this book did was re-emphasize for me my disinterest in travel to any but a very few first-world places. I kept reading the little travelogue excerpts and flinching. My reaction to much of this book was, "Oh, I am so glad I'll NEVER have to do that. Or go there. Or eat that. Or have that conversation." I liked the packing advice very much, and one needn't be actively avoiding dysentery to use it.
June 11, 2022
A Journey of One's Own was mentioned in a book I read recently and I thought it might offer helpful tidbits. I confess I will never travel alone internationally unless it's a dire situation and I have no choice. The appeal of being on my own schedule and my own itinerary is quite intoxicating. However, the prospect of navigating unknown city streets/countryside leaves me with clenched body parts.
On to the helpful tidbits:
Packing (don't overdo)
Money (be as precise about the amount to have as you can be)
Money - carrying it safely
Culture etiquette appropriate to where you travel
Make sure your home life is organized with bill paying/mail handling and such
These are the highlights. There is much that may seem like common sense, and it is but when you are traveling for months at a time (as Zepatos is at the writing of this book) the pieces of your travel life and home life must be in line or the trip won't be enjoyable.
Keep in mind the book was written in 2003 and though it's been revised, it may seem dated. I suggest you overlook this aspect and glean the helpful tidbits that work for you.
On to the helpful tidbits:
Packing (don't overdo)
Money (be as precise about the amount to have as you can be)
Money - carrying it safely
Culture etiquette appropriate to where you travel
Make sure your home life is organized with bill paying/mail handling and such
These are the highlights. There is much that may seem like common sense, and it is but when you are traveling for months at a time (as Zepatos is at the writing of this book) the pieces of your travel life and home life must be in line or the trip won't be enjoyable.
Keep in mind the book was written in 2003 and though it's been revised, it may seem dated. I suggest you overlook this aspect and glean the helpful tidbits that work for you.
June 25, 2017
5 stars for the personal stuff, including essays from women of color, lesbians, and women with disabilities; 2 stars for the factual stuff which is largely stuff I already knew (not the author's fault!) or out of date (also not the author's fault since after the 2003 edition she started working for Freedom to Marry campaigns and didn't have time to update it!).
May 9, 2020
I enjoyed this book as it helped me feel brave. As someone who hopes to travel in the future, I feel that traveling will actually be doable. I don't know if I would travel alone like author or go with a tour group but I do like the idea of a sort-of off the grid traveling in villages to actually experience culture.
May 13, 2021
It is outdated, in terms of communication and technology. But the stories shared by women travelers are worth the four stars.
August 5, 2016
Although this book was written before 9-11, before email became common-place, before cell phones & Skype, it has some great information for any single traveler, & some especially useful information for a woman traveling alone. There is an updated version that was published in 2003.
The book includes lists of travel resources, ideas for working while traveling, reasons why you should go off into the world alone, & why it's not as scary as you may think, as well as travel tales from women who've done it.
One of the stories told it like it is: "A man I met on the plane flying to the South Island offered to give me a ride to the hostel. I accepted, but was on my guard the whole way, wondering if he would take me down a dark road & rape me. But no, he delivered me to the door, shook my hand & said, 'Have a nice holiday.' Coming from the United States, it was hard to orient myself to a place where I was really safe - I wasn't used to that."
Another passage said, "Your chances of getting robbed with a weapon are much lower outside the US."
We, living in the US, are constantly told that we're "free", that we're "safe" here. But, are we?
The last sentence in this book reads:
If I could say one final word, it would be 'Go.'
I did.
The book includes lists of travel resources, ideas for working while traveling, reasons why you should go off into the world alone, & why it's not as scary as you may think, as well as travel tales from women who've done it.
One of the stories told it like it is: "A man I met on the plane flying to the South Island offered to give me a ride to the hostel. I accepted, but was on my guard the whole way, wondering if he would take me down a dark road & rape me. But no, he delivered me to the door, shook my hand & said, 'Have a nice holiday.' Coming from the United States, it was hard to orient myself to a place where I was really safe - I wasn't used to that."
Another passage said, "Your chances of getting robbed with a weapon are much lower outside the US."
We, living in the US, are constantly told that we're "free", that we're "safe" here. But, are we?
The last sentence in this book reads:
If I could say one final word, it would be 'Go.'
I did.
July 30, 2011
At the moment, there seem to be many armchair-travel books out there about adventurous women. This book is different on several fronts. Most notably, it is highly researched and very practical; for every engaging story of an international adventure, there is also a list of resources to help us in our own travels.
There are resources for adventure travel, women's tours and groups, home stay exchange, cultural relevancy, eco-friendly travel, musical trips, political trips, educational trips... in short, the kind of traveling I long to do, so I took copious notes and began imagining for myself a series of vacations very different from the norm.
I see there is a more recent edition out, and I would love to see it. This one (from the library) was old enough to have very few web addresses, but many of the companies are well-established enough that a web search turns them up even now. However, I found it to be enough for the author to give me the idea (such as a horseback riding tour in Ireland) and I can do the web searches from there to make it happen.
There are resources for adventure travel, women's tours and groups, home stay exchange, cultural relevancy, eco-friendly travel, musical trips, political trips, educational trips... in short, the kind of traveling I long to do, so I took copious notes and began imagining for myself a series of vacations very different from the norm.
I see there is a more recent edition out, and I would love to see it. This one (from the library) was old enough to have very few web addresses, but many of the companies are well-established enough that a web search turns them up even now. However, I found it to be enough for the author to give me the idea (such as a horseback riding tour in Ireland) and I can do the web searches from there to make it happen.
March 22, 2008
A very good book for women traveling solo who are wanting to cover all the bases. Health, safety, loneliness, to name a few. I read this book before embarking on a solo trip to Cambodia in 2007, I loved this book and would like to own it for future solo trips. Great Read with wonderful tips.
March 31, 2008
This book contributed to my inspiration for solo travel. I read it for the first time before my first solo trip outside the country. Reading about the adventures of these women made me realize that I could certainly have some of my own making.
Read
January 10, 2009This has become my handbook preparing for a year of solo travel. It's awesome as a book specifically for women that's not full of fear, but rather provides creative, practical and joyful advice in a sharing-wisdom kind of way.
June 8, 2009
An essential read for anyone traveling, especially if on own and if a woman. There's so much information in here that I wouldn't say this is strictly for women. I must have dog-eared at least 20 pages for reference before my trip to India in 4 months.
May 23, 2007
I'm so excited for crazy adventures in asia that I decided to read this book, even though I'm not leaving for another, oh, 8 months.
June 20, 2008
Recommended by a friend. Great book to read if you are thinking of taking a trip but need the extra push to do it alone!
June 25, 2008
Handy. I wouldn't really follow all of her travel advice to the letter, but it's good to read and absorb. I really enjoyed the stories from her own travels.
February 1, 2009
Practical yet so much fun to read. I devoured this while traveling alone in Greece, although you should probably read it BEFORE you leave for you trip. All hail independent women!
February 10, 2009
I found this book very inspiring when I read it in my twenties.
March 16, 2009
I rediscovered this on my bookshelf a few days ago and found it as wise and warm as before. Eager to read the newer edition, but this one still wears well.
June 25, 2009
Helpful advice.
June 12, 2013
Outdated for sure, but the stories and tips are still as relevant.
March 10, 2011
Great travel advice! Some of the tech-related stuff was definitely out of date, but most of the tips are timeless.
Want to read
October 2, 2011Need to come back to this one ... good questionnaire for potential travel partners to ask each other, to prevent problems along the road!
January 13, 2013
Liked the general advice, and also the stories of different women and what they went through while traveling, both the good and the bad.
August 13, 2014
Fantastic book! The stories of women traveling on their own gave me courage to set out and explore the world.
September 20, 2007
encouraging & inspiring
the last word of the book is: "Go."
the last word of the book is: "Go."
May 5, 2008
A+ Great Travel book--excellent book that should be read before traveling. Fantastic. (3rd ed)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews