Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World

by Anu Taranath

Every year, hundreds of thousands of young people pack their bags to study or volunteer abroad. Well-intentioned and curious Westerners--brought up to believe that international travel broadens our horizons--travel to low-income countries to learn about people and cultures different from their own. While travel abroad can provide much-needed perspective, it can also be deeply unsettling, confusing, and discomforting. Travelers can find themselves unsure about how to think or speak about the differences in race or culture they find, even though these differences might have fueled their desire to travel in the first place.

In Beyond Guilt Mindful Travel in an Unequal World, storyteller Anu Taranath begins at home, unpacking our baggage about who we are, where we come from, and how much we have. She takes us on a journey through engaging personal travel stories and thought-provoking questions, providing us with tools to grapple with our discomfort and navigate differences with accountability and connection. Yes, travel! But be mindful. Be present.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Self Help, Social Justice, Audiobook, Education

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2019

Reviews

[Ava Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read.

[Carolyn Kost · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the worst books I have ever had the displeasure to read, so bad it made me reflect deeply on what makes any book "bad." Perhaps, with apologies to Tolstoy, all good books are alike; each awful book is awful in its own way, so permit me to count the ways.

Beyond Guilt Trips is myopic and superficial, entirely devoid of cogent analysis and practical advice, and completely focused on emotionality, repetitive to a degree I have never before seen, and insists upon binary oppositions (oppressor/ oppressed, rich/poor, Global North/Global South, person of color/White, etc.). Worst of all, it utterly fails to deliver on its promises of (a) "working to change what is ugly and unequal in society," (b) teaching how to forge "genuine connections;" and (c) promoting "productive conversation on diversity, equity and identity issues." We know from data going back almost 100 years that diversity "training" most often ratifies White participants' feeling of superiority, and that's the issue here, too.
In fact, the only thing it accomplishes is "going deep into our own personal stories to be more in tune with ourselves, our values, and heartfelt alignment" (4). In other words, it centers on navel gazing and focusing on emotions rather than any recommendations for substantive change whatsoever. She states this "isn't a typical memoir," but it is certainly more memoir than anything that could be instructive or helpful to people traveling in poorer countries, especially as or with students, which is her target audience.
How to ethically send students to poor countries has been a personal preoccupation of mine for decades. Having spent considerable time in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Trinidad, West Indies, once as Coordinator of a university’s program abroad with homestays, I have come to see poverty tourism, "poorism"--travel as a means of experiencing what it’s like to have very little, but within the embrace (and insurance net) of a safe, commercial venture, and easy access to an industrial-size tub of hand sanitizer” as misguided and reflective of a dangerously disingenuous naïveté. Taranath doesn't address this at all. I was hoping for far more practical advice. None was offered here, just Kumbaya platitudes and [cue Streisand] feelings, nothing more than feelings.

This is the very worst the social justice movement has to offer, which should come as no surprise since Anu Taranath is the typical [self-professed] "racial equity facilitator": all talk and no substance.

It is often said that people write books to process some very personal emotions and issues. This is certainly the case here. Anu Taranath is obviously attempting to work through the typical feeling of a first-generation child, not fitting in either India or Canada/USA and the guilt of privilege she has because her parents left India and immigrated to Canada. They left behind the wretched masses of poor (then 347,000,000, now approximately 78,000,000), violence, corruption, caste, lack of infrastructure, and, what every Indian mentions when speaking of travel there: the ubiquitous stench of garbage and urine and open defecation, the last of which current Prime Minister Modi is trying to combat.

The first half of the book centers on White, Black and brown travelers' reactions to Black and brown natives and vice versa. Taranath scolds the Ugly Americans/Europeans/Asians who become angry with the constant beggars and pushy merchants in the markets, but doesn't offer any practical advice. She never mentions considering the difference in annual income.
Taranath is so focused on race and skin color that she doesn't provide any resources for travelers to use to prepare for their trip, like these to learn about the country's various socioeconomic stats: United Nations http://data.un.org/Default.aspx UNESCO http://data.uis.unesco.org/ World Bank https://data.worldbank.org/ CIA's World Factbook World Population Review.com Statista.com, all of which are updated frequently. Currently, the annual average household income is $5,600 in Ghana, $4,700 in Brazil, $593 in India, $6,000 in Morocco, $9,324 in Dominican Republic, and $2,338 in China, the countries the author mentions. That gives perspective, but she implies that many students who travel are comparatively wealthy, but many traveling on scholarship have little to no money. I've worked with families of four with incomes in the U.S. of $14,000, which goes far less than it would in other countries.

When "the girl with the braid" in India asked sophisticated questions about why India is poor and the U.S. is rich, that opened the door to what should have been a discussion about the myriad reasons, but Anu left that on the table, untouched, like a dreaded native dish. This should have led to a chapter with resources about how to discuss the different ways that nations come into being, including the roles of religion, imperialism, and colonialism (see Vox map, for example, but also Bruce Gilley's "The case for colonialism") and how their prevailing worldviews, cultures, economies and political systems differ.

How about compelling travelers and students to understand how their purchases, investments and even employers play into the maintenance of poverty and poor health of the visited country? Use the above sources and .gov sources from the country to learn what role it has in the supply chain. Ghana, for example, is the destination of much of the secondhand clothing that results from fast fashion and the incredibly resource-intensive garment industry. For every three garments, two wind up in an Accra landfill. See
Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale. What about the role of child labor? How can tourists she mentions wanting to purchase carpets be assured that children didn't make them? And those açai berry shakes and bowls that are so popular? Children are the most likely pickers of those berries in Brazil. The list goes on and on and there is no country that is immune.

Many students traveling to such places will aspire to work with NGOs and consulting firms. They must read two books: The Big Truck that Went By: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster, and Confessions of an Economic Hitman, among many others, like The Beautiful Tree about how harmful the efforts of such organizations can be, even with the best intentions and the brightest minds on board.

Travelers, particularly if they will be staying with or having personal contact with natives, should bring photos of home, family, and area, gifts that are distinctly American and hard to get in other places, like maple syrup and Pop-Tarts, and maybe keychains from the home town or state. Do they need medical supplies? Can those be brought in or shipped later?

This is too practical for Taranath's preoccupation with sentimentality.

From a chapter in my book, Engage!: Setting the Course for Independent Secondary Schools In the 21st Century:
Intercultural contact must be executed with enormous sensitivity in order to avoid perpetuating ethnocentrism and the binary categories that social scientists label the in-group or Self, which “embodies the norm whose identity is valued” and the out-group Other,

defined by its faults, devalued and susceptible to discrimination….Although it seems that the Other is sometimes valued, as with exoticism, it is done in a stereotypical, reassuring fashion that serves to comfort the Self in its feeling of superiority.

Regardless of how discreet and muted they believe their privilege and political, social, and economic power to be, school groups can too easily inadvertently bolster students’ colonialist mindsets, American exceptionalism, and the paternalist racism exhibited in President William Howard Taft’s reference to “our little brown brothers.” To make matters worse, the tourists often romantically conclude that despite the crushing poverty, the natives are “happy” and, often, “closer to nature” in the way of the noble savage.

Wealthy people who travel to poorer countries in order to see how the poor live dehumanize them; they tour poor communities as they would a human zoo. The all-too-common goal of fostering in comparatively privileged young people an “appreciation for what they have” by seeing the Other with less both diminishes the natives’ dignity and uses them as a means to an end.

Service projects with the goal of “ministering unto” harbor these problems and more. With considerable poverty proximate to any independent school in the US, school staff must consider and justify why it should be preferable to pick out the mote from the eye of the other than the log in one’s own. Justifying voluntourism or “poor-ism” and the selection of the Dominican Republic or Tanzania or Tijuana for service projects is absurd merely on the grounds of wanting to make a difference. Too many of these high school programs entail paying $3000 per student for an adventure / hopefully resumé-boosting / fodder for application essay experience that does precious little good for the local community but plenty for the arranging agency and corporate tourism infrastructure. [Taranath does mention only once and in passing the importance of checking into how the money paid to the organizer will be used].

It is staggeringly objectionable that these experiences are often structured in such a way that students work for a few days and spend the remainder of their time enjoying splurge experiences like safaris or even excursions which feature ample opportunity for shopping. Care must be taken to avoid situations in which “locals and their communities become props in your vacation” and students merely drop in and out of circumstances that are inescapable and formidable for those mired in them. Such schemes must be examined closely, for they may even work at cross-purposes and prolong injustice and poverty. In fact, several books have been written recently about the ways that service workers often become unwittingly complicit in quick-fix schemes that serve to buttress corrupt governments.

School staff must match the service opportunity to students’ actual skills, language or otherwise. One group of boarding school students with no skills in driving a nail, laying bricks, or framing a house was led to believe that they were constructing a building in an impoverished community when local workers were actually undoing and redoing their work at night.

There are various ways to match the right students with the best fit opportunity. One small group focused on watershed research might head to one destination for fieldwork; the Habitat for Humanity Club brings its skills to a construction project site in another; the Future Physicians Club, already certified in first aid and trained in basic care travels to help in a clinic....Depending upon how staff structure the experience and the students' own propensities, its impact on students can range from the aforementioned confirmation of presumptions of cultural superiority to the desired questioning of the factors that gave rise to and maintain economic inequality and injustice, and what can be done to mitigate them.

The complex power dynamics involving concepts of the Other and the wealthy White person "ministering unto" have to be carefully and sensitively navigated. It is absolutely crucial that students be led to engage in guided reflection on their experience. It should never be presumed that they will do so on their own, for reflection is not automatic.[Taranath at least does write about the importance of reflection, but hers emphasizes emotions, naturally].

....Homestays are excellent ways of interacting with natives in their daily lives, but these are extremely onerous to arrange for large groups, though equal exchange programs between schools facilitate this considerably.

It is also appropriate to some academically oriented programs for students to compete for available spots on the basis of a series of academic assignments and oral presentations related to the work they would undertake there. Schools’ commitments to economic equity mandate facilitating access for students who are unable to pay through fundraising, seeking sponsors for students, requesting that parents paying for their own student’s trip and a portion of another student’s, or establishing separate scholarship funds just for trips.

Students should be assisted with budgeting for and during the trip to avoid the all too frequent occurrence of the student who squanders all of his money the first day, the student on full scholarship who splurges on an inexplicable spending spree, and the compulsive shopper, among others. [Then there are those who weary of "slumming" and head off to the nearest Four Seasons to find "civilization."]

________________
An organization I worked with was considering inviting the author to speak. I couldn't find much about her academic formation, so I wrote to her and she replied with this, which explains a lot:
BA double major in Psychology & Women's Studies, minor in Global Studies, UC-Riverside. Masters and PhD, Department of Literature with a focus on Cultural Studies, Postcolonial Studies & Gender Studies, UC-San Diego. Then I looked her up as a professor at über-Woke UW. Naturally, students were generally over the moon for her as an instructor, but these comments are more in line :
"She'd make a great high school teacher since she has no idea what she's talking about or how to properly and respectfully speak to students in their mid-twenties..."
"Anu Taranath is a good teacher, but the substance itself of what she teaches is lacking..."
"Not a lot of practical application. This whole class was pretty much just processing trauma."

BINGO.

That this book has won awards is just a reflection of how mired the media, universities, and the elites in our society are in emotions, victimhood, intersectional oppression, and other preoccupations of the far Left.

Beyond Guilt Trips is not the book it should have been. I was hoping for a book that would propose a more ethical and informed way of traveling in poorer areas, not a superficial, sappy sentimental treatment. I'm sorely tempted to write my own with lesson plans.

Disappointing dreck.
I didn't like it.
I hope that was clear.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suzanne Bhagan’s review explains what’s really good about this book, and lists key ideas in it. The book’s worth reading for those reasons.

What’s less good about the book is its slow pace and therapeutic tone. (The phrase “holding space together” makes me cringe, and it’s used lavishly.) I had real trouble getting through this book, however necessary her points are. This book could’ve been condensed by 75% easily.

I’m ambivalent about service trips. I have long thought that they almost entirely benefit the traveler, not the local people at the destination, and that if someone needs help they could make better use of my money rather than my lousy carpentry skills. But in Cambodia last month I got a different view. A local development agency there used Western teens on service trips to do basic construction work and teach English conversation sessions, and the fees the kids’ parents paid for the trip paid for construction and classroom materials. The agency seems to think it’s a good trade.

I was thinking about that agency as I read the book, but also about my own, strictly tourist, travels.

The author writes about Global North to Global South travel. I’d like to have seen discussion of other travel routes, and how to consider those mindfully.

I also would’ve liked for the author to have written a little more about the value and costs of tourism for local economies. Tourism brings in money and raises awareness of local cultures, but does it destroy the cultures? Does it lead to skilled jobs eventually?

And what about the immense environmental costs of tourism and service trips? How should we be thinking about travel in a time of global warming and of garbage patches in our oceans?

[Tiasha ~ talesoftiasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an incredible thing to see yourself represented, and I genuinely hope for that for all of you. Seeing an Indian-American dark-skinned professor who is a travel writer and activist felt like a dream to me. It felt like a miracle to see a book written about the exact thoughts that spin around my mind daily. Anu Taranath’s story is my story, and in a few decades, she is who I hope to be. I felt seen when Taranath talked about her Indian “homecoming,” or traveling while being dark skinned.

I picked this book up for answers. I am often consumed by the guilt of having so much more than so many people around the world, and this year, it has made me seriously question if I want to continue traveling. But this guilt helps no one. We must breathe into our discomfort and stay present in the moment instead of floating away, ashamed by our place in this world. Instead of turning away from them, we must open our eyes and ears to people’s stories around the world, and thus give them the respect they deserve.

We have to take what we learn abroad about inequalities, and apply it into our everyday lives back home, Taranath argued. We have to be just as aware of and engaged in the injustices in our own community. There cannot be a disconnect – common oppressors control the globe.

I do believe this is a very valuable book, I would recommend it for example to study abroad organizers. There are introspective questions added generously throughout that everyone, and especially those who are traveling to the Global South, would benefit from. However, it was quite repetitive, and I think Taranath should have cut down. There was no need to go so far to drive her points home. Additionally, at times the book felt like it was written for someone who thinks about race much less than me – some points seemed obvious.

[alexis]

I had the pleasure of taking a course with Dr. Anu Taranath this fall on critical writing at the University of Washington. The topic of the class was: How do we write about ourselves and others? “Beyond Guilt Trips” coaches us on how to navigate various societal barriers (class, race, gender). If we are to travel to a third-world country, how do we help without intruding? And how do we acknowledge those societal differences? The audience for this novel, whether that be a white, male westerner on a volunteer trip abroad or a young female student who has never traveled outside of the west coast, will find that the kindness and openness of Taranath’s words are welcoming. Ultimately, she teaches us in this travel guidebook that it is important to acknowledge the differences that make us uncomfortable so we can see the humanity in each other and build empathy.

Every country has its own mythical norm, or stereotypical image of who has the most power and influence. In my country, the U.S., this is a white, Christian, heterosexual male. Another country may have a different mythical norm, and it might seem unusual that our culture tends to uplift and prioritize those with lighter skin. It is these differences that impel some people to avoid talking about these issues altogether, as if marginalization does not exist.

Who we are and where we come from is important. Our identities build our character and inform how we see the world. Taranath does not simply tell her readers to be mindful when they travel; rather, she supports her main ideas with personal narratives and travel stories. These stories are informed by her identity and status in the world. A personal favorite of mine comes from chapter six in the section titled “That’s Not Very Fair, Is It?” Taranath is on a school trip with a group of undergraduate students from America. They are in India, in the state of Karnataka, where they visit a group of schoolchildren in a rural village. While conversing with the children, one of the young girls asks the group, “Why is there less opportunity in India?” She brings to the forefront a question that causes the westerners to feel a bit awkward and shocked. To answer one of her many inquiries, the American students must confront their own privilege and position in the world. It can feel uncomfortable to do this without feelings of guilt and pity arising, but Taranath encourages us to move beyond the guilt and instead “hold space together.” These are tough questions, yes, but as we work through them, our understanding of the world and the people around us deepens. We develop genuine empathy for identities outside of our own.

Taranath writes near the end of her book, “Justice to me looks like us holding space for one another, to witness and hear one another’s story in the grace of a loving heart.” I wholeheartedly agree with creating a space for productive and equitable conversation. It is through this process that we can truly learn from one another.

[mochi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The topic Dr. Taranath writes about is one that I am incredibly invested in and it was so refreshing to read an entire book by someone who cares so deeply about this topic. I don’t think in this world we talk about mindful travel enough, nor is it normalized to think more deeply about travel as a social phenomenon. Who gets to do it? What do we learn from it? Who benefits? What are the power dynamics involved?

Dr. Taranath manages to write a book that summarizes these topics all very well in an easy to read and easy to understand way. I did study sociology in college so many of these concepts were not new, since I spent my entire undergrad time talking, thinking, writing about identity and social issues. But I did find this book as a good reminder and refresher of how all the topics learned around race, gender, class etc connects to travel.

Dr. Taranath provides a lot of real life anecdotes and examples which is helpful and may be relatable for readers. The book is definitely targeted to those who have the privilege to travel the world, and reminds us to be mindful of our own identities/backgrounds and how to encounter difference in other parts of the world in a way that truly opens our minds up rather than reinforcing the same negative stereotypes and norms we may have grown up to believe.

Highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to connect social discourse topics with travel. I was also a fan of Dr. Taranath using more creative methods to help her students and readers think more expansively about travel and make it personal for folks too. Because at the end of the day, travel is a very personal experience and can be life changing in many ways. To keep thinking critically throughout can make a lot of difference and I believe, can create better “global citizens”.

[Hava · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. target audience for this book: me (and other white wealthy western folks traveling abroad). really good tangible thoughtful impactful stuff on guilt. can i be critical? uh yes of course i can. feels like it’s missing something embarrassingly huge—discourse on colonialism? holding folks more accountable for participation in exploitation? action steps beyond breathing and discussing our feelings?

[Amrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thought-provoking and well-written book. Many of her observations and anecdotes have helped me verbalize my own thoughts and interactions. The book was a little heavy for me but kept at it as it is not just factual but has real-life experiences from herself, her students, her coworkers and people that she has interacted with. In my opinion it is not just a book for a traveler travelling from the West to a developing country, but a good book to anyone who wants to be a conscious citizen even here.

[Tim Cruickshank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good topic. Useful book. I'll be using this for a class in the coming months. Really appreciate the view that Taranath gives. It's a bit repetitive and likely could've been reduced by a third. Felt like the distinctive chapters blended together to an extent, though maybe I'll see otherwise upon a second read.

[jen self · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start with a book that is at once poetic, immediate & direct, hopeful, yet explicit about the historical and contemporary impacts of global colonization (particularly of the global south), and finally a narrative that embraces the reader with a disarming candor coupled with Dr. Taranath's genuine warmth & devotion to asking deep, revelatory questions that help us understand our situated power and relationship to history, colonization, and each other? Where to start indeed?

So many books simply could be a bulleted list of highpoints, but not this one. Dr. Taranath calls the reader in through the power of vulnerability, offering us a community in our discomfort and modeling the possibility of transformation. Every page, every paragraph, every sentence, it is clear, was intentionally chosen in order to recount a story, develop an insight, or invite the reader to share space with her and reflect upon themselves and the ideas she is presenting.

I welcomed Dr. Taranath's elegant, conversational style as it allowed me to better connect to not just the ideas of the book (considering impacts of colonization and how we reenact these patterns when traveling; the power of whiteness abroad & its impact on guilt/shame/retrenchment) but also to her, her students, and to the people in her stories ~ the girl with the braid. Speaking of which, Dr. Taranath's brilliant and simple use of relatable imagery immerses the reader within the narrative, giving us nowhere to turn but to her stories, their beauty, their pain, their incisive insights, their wisdom, and ultimately to essential questions about who we are, what it means to be who we are, how power travels with us, and how we can be mindful and humble as we seek out connection across cultures.

Finally, Dr. Taranath's awe at the way truth and dignity can cut through both the real-life consequences and the noise of power, legacies of colonization, and the often unintended reproduction of othering through travel is an ever-present vibration, an energy that drives her book, her connected dedication to her students, and her presence with friends and others she meets while in India, Morocco, etc. This is a beautiful and important book for all of us who travel from the global north.

[Nolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book feels like it's designed to be an introductory wake-up call to whites who aren't aware of what that word "privilege" actually means. Being already fairly well aware of the Global North-South divide and the ills of my country on the national and global stage, this was a very, very dry read. Almost bordering on calling it just a little bit preachy, even, given the attitude it took to gently hitting me over the head with what points I could find it had to make betwixt its meandering anecdotes.

There was really no reason for the book to be as long as it was, and I went from giving it an honest go, to skimming over again for something more substantial, to outright dropping it after a few hours. It's one of the few non-fiction books I've ever actually fully stopped reading. Maybe I'd need to read this shortly before or after going on another trip to the third world to appreciate it better, since my view is clearly in the minority based on other reviews and ratings.

[Nat Mengist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading from #BEYONDGUILTRIPS while I was in Cuba was a tremendous help when confronting tensions brought about by inequalities and interpersonal strife. Your powerful words also helped me to sink in, open up, and contribute care to the experiences I shared and relationships I developed. You are doing such important work, Dr. Anu. THANK YOU!!! ⭐️📚😍

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacks a lot of critical transnational discussion. Some decent parts, but most of it was seriously just an unexpected memoir. Perhaps I could have benefitted from this read 10 years ago when I had absolutely zero clue about SHIT, but this was rudimentary at best at this point in my life.

[Gemma James]

When this book was first assigned for one of my classes, taught by Taranth herself, I was admittedly skeptical. As an English major, and in an English class, I could not fathom the place for a travel book in the course. But lo and behold, I was corrected very quickly. Beyond Guilt Trips is not just a travel guide but also is chock full of personal anecdotes and larger topics that are so important to consider, regardless of whether or not you are about to embark on a trip.

Of course, as a book marketed as a travel guide, the chapters are largely structured around a hypothetical trip. The first few chapters introduce considerations one must have before embarking on a trip, then a segment on remaining mindful while traveling, and finished with a part on continuing one’s careful consideration after returning home. Throughout these chapters, Taranath addresses the politics of travel, the complex emotional journey that going abroad often brings, and the various racial or cultural differences that are unavoidable in our world.

Beyond Guilt Trips addresses travel from a perspective focusing on a traveler from the Global North to the Global South. Much of the book focuses on understanding how one’s privileges (whether this is race, class, or even gender) impact their experience abroad. Sometimes, a well-intentioned visit shapes up to be more harmful than helpful. Other times, a traveler might find their preconceived notions of another country or the people who live there to be completely wrong. Oftentimes the traveler is confronted with new feelings of discomfort or guilt.

As someone who has never traveled abroad, this is something that I worry about a lot. To be totally transparent, I have often experienced a similar level of discomfort or guilt when confronted with many of the same issues of difference in my own communities. I’m sure that when I eventually/hopefully embark abroad, these feelings will be increased tenfold. Taranath, however, provides strategies to help mitigate these negative feelings and instead focus on the larger picture. By acknowledging the uncomfortable feelings, Taranath explains, you are more capable of engaging and confronting the feelings and their underlying issues, rather than beating yourself up over the negative feelings.

As an adoptee, I found that Beyond Guilt Trips really sparked considerations that I had never before pondered. While I am Chinese, I grew up adopted with white parents. Due to this personal identity, I found the segment on “homecomings”, visiting abroad a place where your family is from or where you resemble the other people living there, to be very interesting. The complex feelings that this type of travel has brought up for others, such as a consideration of feeling as though you don’t quite fit in abroad the same way you did at home, created new questions for me to consider when thinking about one day visiting China, where I was born.

Taranath embeds her contemplations and advice with anecdotes. From hearing about arguments with her friends to listening to endearing stories about her friends, this is very humanizing and lightens the load of such a heavy topic, reminding the reader that they are not alone in this quest to travel more mindfully. Taranath also includes the accounts of others, from students to colleagues. I appreciated this, as it created the feeling of community within such a short book. Also, this provided a few different perspectives which provided a lot of credibility to what Taranath was saying.

At the end of most chapters, or sometimes in the middle, Taranath poses a series of questions regarding the various topics she explores. Titled “Holding Space Together”, these segments help the reader apply these topics to their own lives and consider these issues on a more personal level. I found these questions helpful, as they kept me accountable for the information presented throughout Beyond Guilt Trips and served as great starting points for dissecting mindful travel myself and with others.

Taranath also provides various illustrations throughout the book. I found these entertaining and helpful, as they helped me visualize the concepts presented and also approached the topic in a multimedia format. This can often make such a dense read more manageable.

[Manuel Robles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might quite possibly be THE book that I needed all this time as an amateur traveler and though I can’t go back in time to deliver this book to myself before my trip overseas, I think I held it in my heart somehow before I even read it. This book review reminds me of the late Anthony Bourdain, a strange honor to place this book next to him not because of the comparison of artists but because Bourdain was a sometimes obnoxious white American with some awful shows but also some wonderful shows. Parts Unknown was one of those wonderful shows and I think about that show when I write this review for Beyond Guilt Trips. I think in Parts Unknown, we saw Mr. Bourdain being present with the people he would befriend and recently I watched the episode where he was visiting Hue, Vietnam. Like this book, it is a masterful memoir of “his first love” and while I once described this book as a self-help book, I can’t help but describe it more as a memoir now. So much of the book is written from the perspective of the author that it is one of those books that is difficult to categorize but this is what adds to the quality of the book. It is reminiscent of other books that I have read that are so deeply impacting that I must read them again at some point. A quote from the late Bourdain, "Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown". Beyond Guilt Trips with authenticity, shows the immense value of the unpacking of these gorgeous and massive feelings and wonderfully gives the reader space to sit in these feelings even if they will not be traveling and will just be doing something different for the day such as volunteering at a food bank.

Beyond Guilt Trips navigates a plethora of feelings with one of these being guilt and a concept I don’t hear about very often: ethical travel. This is, admittedly, an oversimplification of the book but it’s difficult to explain the depth and impact of this book in just a few sentences or even a few paragraphs. This may be a side-effect of the culture that I live in. Soundbites, everything has to be digestible in a few seconds. Nobody has time for that! For a full conversation!? This book reminded me that I love having long conversations. The longer the better. It's what life is all about. For me, it is a flow state that runs deep into the night and can become some of the most intimate spaces between two human beings. This book is so much more than about travel or social justice. It is about pointing out that people do themselves harm by not having conversations. The book speaks on power and how it plays out in all its ugliness and nuance. It also speaks about safety and how that impacts our ability to be present. This book brings into question emotions and what we do with them. Not just during our travels but during our everyday lives. The author here is, as James Baldwin says, playing the role of the lover. “The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.” I think this comes through so strongly because of who the author is as a person. So, I hesitate whenever someone asks me about this book because of these kinds of matters the book elucidates. To simplify it does a great injustice. How can I explain this book to someone when there are emotions I don't think we have a word for that I felt during the reading of this book? Especially after reading the first “Holding space” section? The book is a first-class ticket to moving the heart and the mind and is a must-read for everyone, not just travelers. Loved it!

[Natalya Prindle]

My professor, the author, assigned this book. Prior to reading this book, I hadn’t done much reading when it came to non-fiction/memory-type books. This novel would be completely out of my element. I ended up enjoying this book and it gave me a lot of insight on being a person of color who travels abroad. Since that will be me during my spring quarter at university. Taranath is a seasoned world traveler but shows the reader a few instances of injustices while traveling abroad. The objective of this novel was to explore and show the different viewpoints from a social, racial, and economic perspective. All the while practicing mindfulness, enlightenment, and acceptance. She shares not only her own journey but the journey that her colleagues also faced on their trips abroad.
What continued to engage my attention was the way she had set up her chapters. In the beginning, the chapters are set up as if a flight attendant were to announce boarding protocols. As the book continues forward the chapter titles start to merge into announcements about flight safety. Ending the book with post-flight protocols. Taranath hooks the reader in with an interaction of her young child being aware of their racial identity in a crowd of predominately white folks. Battling with what others in the crowd may think, she explains how she overcomes this spatial awareness. Her book goes into other timelines of her life when she has similar interactions. Being a writer who is a person of color is not anything to be ashamed of. It is only a learning experience to understand how other cultures, communities, and religions work. This book brings the reader across the world and shows us a contrast of experiences in social, political, and racial aspects in which she experiences.
I listened to the audio while reading along since that is the way I prefer to annotate and dissect my assigned reading. Overall I enjoyed her story because she never had the same experience in two places. The world is so massive that culture, language, and ideals can transfer drastically from place to place. Taranath witnessed some of her colleagues feel culture shock for the first time. Having done some international traveling myself, I can definitely relate to the drastic change her companions felt. The first time, I ventured outside of North America, was very overwhelming. I had traveled to a place that only my mother spoke fondly of. And what does one do when they travel to a new destination? For me, I get out and wander immediately. There is no time for sleep when I am trying to acclimate. I usually will start by walking around my basecamp (hotel). For instance I had the opportunity travel to Peru and the first thing I noticed was the sounds of city life. There are no big skyscrapers, mostly just vendors and markets on every corner. Everyone is using public transport to get around. I also noticed how rich the food taste since most vendors are making meals fresh right infront of you. Since Peru has a higher elevation, I noticed the difference in altitude because the air feels thinner and denser. Since its close to the equator is also hotter and there aren’t very many clouds. When the clouds are present its still muggy and warm outside. I did eventually get a feeling of home sickness when I was there but I would do it again if given the chance. Taranath’s book taught me a lot about traveling abroad and after reading this books, the next time I travel abroad I will use the lenses that she taught me.

[Hadi Hutchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entitled American is a trope that many of us have heard at some point in our lives, maybe in passing conversation or directed towards us. Most of the time, it conjures an image of some stuck-up person demanding something in a foreign country that they believe should have been provided or should be present because “that’s how it is in America.”
The overarching theme of the trope is that the people it pertains to are ignorant and intolerant of ways of life other than what is found in the US. But a lot of travelers aren’t like that at all, most are just innocent, well-meaning individuals looking for an interesting vacation or trying to better the world through international service, or perhaps they’re students on a school trip hoping to learn about the region. None of these people want to come across as entitled and arrogant, but traveling to entirely new locations is confusing and kind of scary. So much changes and your whole world can be flipped upside down. It’s hard to deal with these emotions, especially when you’re not even sure what they mean or how to start addressing them. If this is you, this Book, Beyond Guilt Trips, is your best friend.
Throughout her book, Dr. Anu Taranath discusses the many aspects of international travel and focuses especially on the effects of stepping into a different culture and society. She guides the reader through mindful travel practices, and she ties in work from other authors to expose the reader to ideas such as the mythic norm that plays a large role in how someone can experience a society, and also how discombobulating it can be when suddenly the norms you’ve grown accustomed to are no longer the norms at all. Furthermore, Dr. Anu dissects the norms and social rules Western society has adopted, discussing why they have come to dominance, and just how relevant they really are.
To help readers understand and relate to her topics, she punctuates them with anecdotes, both her own and those belonging to students she’s accompanied on study abroad programs. These stories are deeply interesting and provide great insight into the experiences of travelers, which provides readers with the opportunity to reflect on how they might feel when presented with those situations.
Mindful travelers may also find visiting less fortunate countries, or even less fortunate neighborhoods in their own hometown, and talking to their inhabitants to be extremely uncomfortable. In comparison, they come from an extremely comfortable and privileged position and haven’t had to struggle, perhaps even to survive, as the people there have had to. Often, this brings on feelings of guilt for the travelers - guilt over their more secure position, guilt over the unequal opportunities they’ve been given, guilt over their aspirations for how dare they ask for more while others suffer with nothing. Whether this guilt is reasonable or not, it is real, and Beyond Guilt Trips addresses managing and processing it.
Beyond Guilt Trips offers insight and discussion into the vastly complex experiences that come from visiting other cultures and navigating our own society. Perhaps the only negative thing I really have to say about it is that it does seem a bit repetitive at times. Nonetheless, it provides a plethora of points, questions, recommendations, and practices that challenge readers to think beyond the norms they’ve adopted and help them manage the many emotions that come from experiencing aspects of human society that they’re not used to.

[BadbLioness · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book “Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World” by Dr. Anu Taranath is unlike any other book I have read. Within it, Dr. Anu shares experiences she and others have and dissects them with unrestrained intention. Each story presents an opportunity for readers to examine their positionality critically and to understand better how the culmination of their experiences, as well as the experiences of others, influence and sometimes interfere with all interactions.
Perhaps it is because it is almost Christmas time, and I have seen far too many versions of “The Christmas Carol.” Maybe it was my preconceived association between Dr. Anu’s book and a self-help travel guide. Still, when I think back to my experience of reading Beyond Guilt Trips, it is as if Dr. Anu accompanied me as I traveled to the various instances in time and space she described. I sat with her and her daughter in the church pews. I traveled with the private school students to the public school on the other side of town and watched the women dry grain on the road in south India. Those destinations seemed both physical and metaphysical. In those spaces between thought, feeling, and understanding, I conversed with Dr. Anu, the way Scrooge had with his ghosts, as she guided me through meditative reflection.
Her book implores us to view the various reported situations and reflect on their similarities and dissimilarities to our own. Additionally, by posing tough and thoughtful questions, the author aids us in asking ourselves how our experiential lenses, feelings, and beliefs may be skewing our perspectives or understanding. Lastly, Dr. Anu offers advice on how, in the future, we may interact with others in ways more conducive to achieving a more significant understanding and celebration of human social diversity.
The book brightly illuminates issues of inequality by exploring the myriad ways in which people are distanced from what she and others have referred to as the “mythical norm.” Dr. Anu asks readers to reflect on their position honestly and to move through the world consciously, bravely, and compassionately. Her book inspires readers to acknowledge their privilege without falling into the unproductive abyss of guilt. Her book is accessible, optimistic, and authentic.
At first glance, the book appears intended for student travelers. I began reading the book believing that because I had no intention to study abroad and had little experience with travel, the book wasn’t meant for me. However, as I read the book, the book encouraged me to question my understanding of what travel means. When I step out the front door of my apartment and turn around, I see four doors that act as teleports into four very different yet similar places. Behind each door live people with their own cultures and unique and shared life experiences. While similar circumstances might have brought us to rent similar apartments, we hold different beliefs about religion, philosophy, child-rearing, and politics. We enjoy other foods and activities and celebrate different holidays. The power of Dr. Anu’s book is that, while I am confident it will aid its readers in more mindful travel abroad, it is relevant in helping readers to navigate interactions and discussion when attending business meetings, family gatherings, study groups, and brunch with friends. I enjoyed the book immensely and highly recommend it!

[jiali deng · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Beyond Guilt Trips, author Anu Taranath explores themes of mindfulness-based practices to enhance and enrich our experiences abroad. Taranath’s usage of various literary devices ranging from illustrative imagery and personal stories to thought-provoking questions to kickstart the minds of her readers, helps to encourage said readers to gravitate towards immersing themselves fully into the book, as opposed to simply reading the book just to check a box. In doing so, Taranath draws out the complex nature of navigating one’s own emotions, not only when it comes to studying abroad but also in the context of difficult-to-navigate scenarios that people may encounter in their day-to-day lives.

The illustrations that she pairs with each and every story and her own added analysis greatly add to the deliverance of her story, as it helps to draw out the bigger picture when we, as readers, want to conceptually visualize the various emotions and scenarios that are being so beautifully drawn out as we flip the pages. By placing the spotlight on the intricacies of guilt, awkwardness, and discomfort, Taranath challenges her readers to think about their emotions through a different lens, one that emphasizes starting the conversation and holding space for not just themselves, but the individuals with whom one surrounds themselves with. In the process, the book prompts a series of thought-provoking questions, encouraging critical thinking and creating a genuinely immersive experience that enables readers to connect empathetically with the characters across a range of stories.
Throughout the book, there were many moments in which I had to stop, pause, and think. While some stories were difficult to connect with, there were also a variety of other stories that made up for the ones that I couldn’t resonate with, and those were the ones that compelled me to think deeper, placing myself in the shoes of the character and the situation that was described. The holding space questions, was one of my favorite parts of the book, as they made the book all the more raw, engaging, and authentic. The decision to engage with it was up to the reader, but for me, personally, the mere act of reading the question jogged my thinking process into coming up with an answer that I thought was suitable.

While I can sit here and lie that this book didn’t make me uncomfortable because it felt like I was physically and emotionally in the shoes of the characters, even though I’ve never been abroad or anywhere of that sort, I could most definitely feel myself simmering in the discomfort and awkwardness of simply reading some of the narratives that were highlighted. These stories being a fusion of both fiction and realism contributed greatly to the “realness” of the book, by emphasizing our tendency to overlook negative emotions. This to me felt like a direct call-out as the book so accurately pinpointed feelings I struggled to identify, providing a spot-on reflection of my exact thought process when reading the various personal stories.

All in all, the ambiguous and open-ended nature of the book is what made the pages turn for me, and I would recommend it, whether you’ve been abroad, are going abroad, or have never been abroad.

[Madison Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s incredibly important to mention first and foremost that Beyond Guilt Trips, while it is a really well-written book, does not fit into one category or genre.

If you are someone who likes your books to be just one- maybe two genres, this probably isn’t the book for you. Taranath incorporates several different formats in her novel, including: poetry, personal anecdotes from her own life, doodle-like illustrations, self-help/workbook activities, short stories, and some minor academic language and statistics here and there. The topics covered in this novel are also quite plentiful. There is discussion around social justice, traveling domestic and international, cultural awareness, identity, privilege and more. Taranath also uses very conversational language which I felt made the book more accessible and engaging. However, I do know plenty of people who would find this book frustrating to read because of how many categories it fits into and the way in which Taranath has chosen to engage her readers. If you think this may be you, I would recommend finding another read.

If you are still with me, hello!

I really enjoyed Beyond Guilt Trips. I felt that it allowed me, as a young White woman, to put down my defenses and set aside my nervousness surrounding topics such as race and the complexities that go into traveling to foreign countries and experiencing new cultures. I feel like in a world that is really heightened around topics like identity, race, and cultural open-mindedness, the noise can make it really difficult- or even paralyzing to know how to proceed in the world. I really appreciate the “yes and” method to these discussions that Taranath uses throughout the novel as it made me feel like I really am just an individual who is here to learn and mean no harm.

There is a lot of discussion surrounding things like the intense shaming that takes place today when it comes to things like social justice. You will read stories that will make you want to hide behind a pillow from the second-hand embarrassment of how some people behave when traveling abroad, but ultimately, it’s important to have real discussions around why someone may behave inappropriately abroad or in a new environment because deciding that they are a bad person as the reason why doesn’t move society further but rather perpetuates where we are- stuck.

If you are someone like me, who gets a bit anxious when talking about things like race, privilege, and cultural awareness, I really recommend Beyond Guilt Trips because of how approachable it is. At the end of most chapters, there is a section called “Holding Space Together’ in which Taranath has written a series of questions available for the reader to use to reflect within themselves or to converse with others on. I did some of the activities with my partner who is a person of Color and we really enjoyed the conversation that came from the prompts. We touched on topics such as how it feels to exist in the U.S. in the bodies we are in all the way to how we would handle complex situations abroad still looking the way we do.

Beyond Guilt Trips opened a lot of doors for me in how I approach the topics of race, culture, privilege, and travel. I really, truly, recommend this novel.

[Kat Zuo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember being super excited to read Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World because the author was my professor! I had never read a book like this before because it falls into so many different categories and genres of books. It’s sort of a memoir, travel guide, narrative, self-help book, autobiography, all at the same time—and it is filled with lots of stories, experiences, and illustrations, making it an extremely enjoyable experience to read!

Beyond Guilt Trips communicates many of the different encounters we face as people moving through a world where there is so much diversity and difference in various aspects of human life–including living conditions, jobs, families, cultures, religion, etc. Navigating through all these different dynamics can be confusing, tough, and thought provoking and Taranath’s book gives voice to many of the complexities that one encounters as they travel to different places from where they are used to.
One of the interesting parts of the book that Taranath includes is a section in each chapter for “Holding Space Together”. Basically it outlines several reflection prompts related to the topic of the chapter it exists in to help the reader digest the stories and contemplate about what parts of the chapter resonated with them and which parts they want to consider more. I think in a book like this, it is especially beneficial to the reader to be able to connect our own experiences to what is being discussed. Many of the topics, for me at least, are relatable and real both on a large scale and my personal life. I’m thankful that Taranath shares a lot of her own experiences, and is real and vulnerable about her stories and the raw emotions she experiences as she is sharing them.

My favorite part of the book was when Taranath considered the emotion of guilt and how to deal with it. She employs a story to first illustrate the emotion, and then deconstructs the emotion itself, while offering a solution to how to stand up to guilt instead of ignoring it, bottling it up, or just feeling straight up icky. This part of the book resonated with me a lot because I had been dealing with some guilt related to family life and the interpersonal relationships that were around me. Even though it wasn’t necessarily connected to the guilt related to traveling, I was thankful for the discussion on how to hold space for oneself once an extreme emotion, such as guilt, has permeated my head and taken over how I feel. Taranath highlights the importance of staying present and breathing when in a trying emotional situation, which I felt was an extremely timely, and simple way to remind myself to have grace.

Even as someone who does not travel a lot, I would say this book is definitely still worth reading. The conversation about learning how to hold space for oneself, dealing with guilt and other complex emotions, and even just some of the short stories and experiences included are valuable for anyone seeking to learn more and reflect on how to move effectively through the world and society we live in. Taranath brings up many topics around just how to be human—both the good and bad moments and weaves them into a beautiful book in a format that is both easily digestible and entertaining.

[Lulu James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anu Taranath’s Beyond Guilt Trips is an affecting inquiry into issues of power, privilege, travel in an unequal world, and what happens when we don’t talk about our discomfort surrounding difference. Through her own personal stories and those of others she illustrates how our positionality shapes our experiences abroad and how, in the midst of entirely new cultures, socioeconomic, and racial environments, it can bring up feelings that are difficult to process. By providing thoughtful analysis and questions that reshape how to approach these situations, Taranath is able to leave the readers with ways to be more conscientious, reflective, emotionally-in-tune travelers and citizens.

I may be slightly biased in that I am genuinely interested in these topics, but I enjoyed Beyond Guilt Trips from the beginning. As I started reading, I realized I had never read anything like it before. It touches on so many important ideas that just are not talked about, and fills a gap where the discourse about travel, identity, and equity has been lacking. Taranath’s heart and care about social justice shines through and got me invested in what she had to say.

Her work honors the complexity of the subject matter, leaving no stone unturned in the discussion of difference and any of the multitude of emotions that could surface. Part of what works so well about this book is how interactive it is. The “Holding Space Together” sections at the end of each chapter bring us readers into this conversation and encourage us to reflect on moments in our own lives. What I admire about her approach is that while she urges for change in our established systems and behaviors, she doesn't condemn or blame the reader. She still encourages us to travel, just being more mindful as we do so.

The book highlights many complex issues and glaring differences in our world, but wraps it up with much to hope for. Her image of “night here and morning there” - the cycle of change makers all across the world doing their good work, taking rest, then someone somewhere else waking to make a difference - and appreciating the small beautiful “helmet-to-cheek” moments in life leave me feeling inspired. She encourages her audience to drive forward determined to ease injustice while remembering that despite adversity, there is still good in the world.

My only qualm is that some parts towards the beginning/middle of the book felt repetitive. Though helpful to reiterate the gravity of these issues and feelings, to me hearing new thought processes and having varying anecdotes or recounts of her discussions with students was more poignant. Overall, the amount of insight and humanity in the rest of the book outweighs this minor con.

I recommend this book to every individual. Everyone can benefit from learning how to navigate privilege and guilt, and how to make sense of our societies that advantage some and disadvantage others. If we are able to better hold space for others as Taranath describes, we can make the world a little bit better for a few more of us. Beyond Guilt Trips has positively changed how I think about social justice, travel, and myself in both a local and global context.

[Sarah Wormley]

Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World (BGT) is an expansive insight into the complex relationship between race, culture, global positionality, and travel. Taranath explores the common difficulties that are faced when an individual immerses themself within a culture, they are not familiar with, either locally or abroad, and gives insightful advice on dealing with guilty and uncomfortable feelings that can arise rather than pushing them aside. She explores many intersections between race, culture, class, and other facets of identity that can complicate human interactions. Among the many methods Taranath provides to combat guilt and discomfort during travel is practicing holding space for yourself and others, which assumes the forefront focus of the book. BGT is not genre-specific and assumes many different forms of literature, depending on the perspective of who is reading it. On one hand, it is academic writing that delves into deep sociological issues, discusses intersections between identities, and taps into historical, social, cultural, and economical perspectives. Simultaneously, it is oftentimes anecdotal and features stories from Taranath’s travels and her peers’ travels to provide real-world examples of the complexity of encountering issues concerning diversity and race, and present subsequent learning opportunities. Though the anecdotal nature of BGT may cause it to be viewed as “unprofessional” or detached from the broader scope of academic writing, I view this notion as a testament to the forcefully dichotomous essence of literature and the deeply-systemic way that the world categorizes writing into either rational, positive, and masculine or emotional, negative, and feminine, thus creating a divide that forces anecdotal writing into a position of less importance than presumedly objective writing. This negates the unique and powerful insight that the anecdotes within BGT offers to its readers. Personal, subjective experiences are a necessity to sociological writing in order to access the humane, infinitely complex nature of the issues being discussed. While reading BGT, I really enjoyed this anecdotal aspect of it, which I don’t normally encounter in literature intended for an educational purpose. BGT is unlike any book I have read before, as I do not typically gravitate towards this style of advisory writing or many books that are rooted in real-world issues. I am normally someone who gravitates towards escapist fiction or science-based non-fiction books, so picking up BGT and learning so much from it surprised me. I did not expect to be left with such insights and a feeling of greater open-mindedness and mindfulness after finishing the book, but I was delightfully wrong. BGT is a powerful book full of countless gems of knowledge, pockets of experience, and warm embraces between humans that will leave you feeling all the more an integrated part of our complex and unequal world. I highly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to read this to approach this book with an open heart and mind, give it a read, and feel their thinking transform.

[Camille Martin]

Beyond Guilt Trips by Anu Taranath is a nuanced discussion and exploration of the struggles one might grapple with while traveling. Whether it be to a completely unfamiliar country someone has not visited before or returning to a place of birth, traveling to spaces with which we are not completely accustomed to can bring up some uncomfortable feelings which sometimes feel better to ignore. Taranath poses the point that open discussion of these feelings and the inspection of cultural elements regarding race, or how we perceive ourselves and others within the world, is conducive to creating a fulfilling travel experience.
The work Dr. Taranath led in my class with her tied closely with the topics discussed in the book. The book itself goes in-depth on a few specific ideas which felt significant to me, and that we expanded on in class. Beyond Guilt Trips fulfills its namesake by discussing how guilt plays a role in diminishing our travel experience and, in general, minimizes our ability to be open to learning and progressing as individuals and as a society. Personally, Taranath’s discussion of guilt opened my eyes to how I have let guilt and shame dictate my learning about race and diversity. In my own travel experiences, there have been instances or emotions of discomfort or uneasiness which marked pieces of trips I have been on. Not necessarily spoiling the trip altogether, but generally taking away from my ability to openly appreciate my travel while acknowledging hard topics to address such as privilege- without shame. Taranath makes it clear in her writing that shame should not have a place in the education/learning/teaching of race or topics regarding it. This method/teaching is one I have never come across before in my education. I felt I have made more progress with my understanding of diversity and race in the past few months- by reading and working with Dr. Taranath- than I have in my previous 19 years of learning. I am excited to continue learning.
Beyond Guilt Trips taught me what it means to “hold space for myself” and “hold space for others”. Taranath presents questions in Beyond Guilt Trips which allowed me to rethink how I approach my learning. I am more comfortable with letting myself be uncomfortable, acknowledging my discomfort, and being gracious with myself and my learning. Something that is discussed in the book is how our fear of others' perception of ourselves decides (diminishes) our willingness to engage. Many times we do not allow ourselves to be curious, and to be wrong. Beyond Guilt Trips, in my opinion, achieves something simple yet very powerful. Mitigating the hesitations I have about asking questions and opening up dialogue about things I might not have much knowledge about. This is one of the biggest takeaways I gleaned from the book- this step of starting to break down the walls in my own mind, of not always needing to be “knowledgeable”. Forgetting this need means opening up the opportunity to connect with others. It’s a skill I hope to carry with me for a very long time. One that I hope to expand on as I continue to learn and grow.

[Uyen Do · Rating 4 out of 5]

The go-to travel guidebook you must get before heading out of the world!

Beyond Guild Trip is an exciting and thoughtful book filled with travel stories and mindful guides varying in ages, places, and races. For those who are curious about life and eager to see the world, especially with studying and exploring purpose, this book will take you on an exciting journey with a deep dive into the lens of travelers involving cultural diversity, races, privileges, etc. Traveling is not simply a vacation but it’s more about an adventure, you’re not only need to prepare your packages but also wrap up some thoughtful perspectives. This book is an essential rehearsal for your upcoming trip.
Nine chapters in the book represent 9 steps to prepare yourself for a trip, with profound perspectives and exclusive experiences from travelers who faced challenges coming to a foreign country. It’s not simply a language barrier but also racial boundaries, cultural conflicts, and social issues you might experience while abroad.

Besides portraying those complexities, Beyond Guild Trip will help you practice mindfulness in an unequal world. You might ask, why does traveling need mindfulness while I’m here to explore? I asked myself the same question before reading this book. But you would never know traveling is an art and to enjoy an artwork, you truly need to be humble and mindful. In the last chapter “Goings and comings in an unequal world”, the author said “If you recently returned from an intense trip and you feel like an active volcano, low-stakes polite chitchat might not feel all that satisfying. We might feel misunderstood and disappointed that “no one cares or understands what I’m going through” or “no one has taken the time to hear about my travels.” Exploring a new world means that you could face some unexpected scenarios, it’s all new and strange that makes one feel confused and grapple. That’s why they call this a guidebook, to guide you to rise above those feelings.

Titling the book “Beyond Guild Trip”, it portrays some negative feelings such as “guilt” you might feel while traveling and how to rise above, “beyond” that chaos. I think this is the best title that can be chosen for this book because it shows a powerful rising from a negative zone to peace of mind. Another thing I love is the book is not only filled with words but also has illustrations which I consider a very creative way to bring reader’s mind into another world. It also makes it an easy-read book, with clear organization and reasonable font/size, it was a good experience to be accompanied by the author through her trips and perspectives.
Overall, Beyond Guilt Trip will stretch your creative thinking and explore your curiosity about life. Some perspectives you would never think of before a trip might be unveiled, which help you well prepare for some new and surprising scenarios while blending into a different world from your regular basis.
I would highly recommend this book to any enthusiastic individuals who are open to learning and curious about the world!

[Yesphir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that we read through in my “Writing about ourselves and others” class ironically taught by Professor Anu Taranath. To be honest, I’m not a fan of when teachers expect their students to read the professor's book from the get-go. Personally, I find it a little strange. Given that first impression of the book, that automatically skewed my perception going into the first few chapters of the book. This was my initial reaction to the book before I even had a chance to take the time to sit down and read it. Yet, once I took the time to read through the book (given that it was one of the assigned “textbooks” for the class), I began to appreciate the artistry involved in each page.
The first thing that stuck out to me from the book was the use of pictures/illustrations. I found that the older you get, you’re introduced to the idea that illustrations in books are for children’s books only, yet I find that to be a very rigid mindset. Illustrations have a place in writing regardless of the age of the reader yet when it comes to using them in writing, it’s about how the illustration pairs with and adds on to the text that is present. In the case of this book, it’s quite clear that the illustrations have that effect of both connecting with the text while also deepening the information presented in the text simply by being able to see a visual. I remember one moment in class, when we were discussing the fact that many students appreciated the visuals, how Ms. Taranath took the time to acknowledge the efforts of her Illustrator Ronald “Otts” Bolisay.
The last thing I want to highlight from the book was Chapter 8, titled, “Helmet-to-Check: Go Small and Find Joy”. Even after having finished the book, this is an idea that has stuck with me most from the book (ironically this is also the shortest chapter from the book). So as not to completely spoil the chapter, I will share why this chapter stuck with me rather than summarize the chapter itself. I believe that this chapter stuck with me is because of the reminder it gave me about how to approach social justice. Specifically, the more we delved into the class, the heavier the subjects we talked about became. As I began to feel overwhelmed, I was able to find comfort in this chapter. When it speaks of “Helmet-to-Check” moments, I understand that as taking the time to slow down and take in the beautiful, yet often overlooked, details of life. It reminded me of being a kid who spent car rides peering outside the car window and spotting the moments where humanity was still humane, treasuring those moments, and thus further fueling my optimistic perspective about human nature.
To conclude an overly long review, I would highly recommend that anyone and everyone read this novel. Specifically I would like to encourage those who are going on a mission trip to read this novel. I know this novel doesn't come from a Christian perspective but given the philanthropic viewpoint which is related to a degree, it would be an insightful read for you guys too.

[Lainey Bosler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond Guilt Trips is a novel composed of illustrations, personal stories, lessons, and places to “hold space.” Beyond Guilt Trips was written by Anu Taranath an author who understands the idea that a novel doesn’t have to fit into just one genre. She incorporates illustrations that grab the reader’s attention that are created not to draw the reader’s attention away from the story but to add to the content of each chapter. The illustrations were simple and child-like which made the novel easier to read and understand the complex subject matter they were depicting. The novel is filled with personal stories and accounts of different service trips. Due to the vast amount of stories, it is easy to find a passage that resonates with you. Each individual’s story brought forth different ideas/biases that impacted their experience on a service trip. The story highlights how race/nationality plays a role in how we approach service trips and what we get out of them. There are lessons woven into the story reminding us of the takeaway from the chapter. I found the lessons helpful to guide my mind to questions I might have after finishing a passage. “Holding space” is an idea introduced in this novel after each chapter. It asks the reader to reflect on what was just read and lists several questions for the reader and perhaps several others to discuss. Service trips are portrayed very differently in the American media and I think Dr. Anu does a great job of breaking down the different aspects of a service trip chapter by chapter. She goes into detail about why an individual would want to go, what happens when they get there, and what happens when they return home. Dr. Anu mentioned how you don’t have to go far to see suffering in the world, that you don’t have to go across the globe to do “service”. This idea stuck with me while reading the novel. Most people believe that traveling to a foreign country and bringing your “white savior” complex is justice work, but Dr. Anu debunks this in a noncritical and intelligent manner. I had the privilege to be in a classroom and to be taught by Dr. Anu, who instilled the same ideas in the novel in our class. I would encourage anyone who is considering going to study abroad, go on a service trip, or even travel somewhere far away to read and engage with this novel. This is the type of book you don’t just read but interact with every chapter by answering the posed questions and discussing your experience while reading it. I believe many schools would benefit if this novel was integrated into the curriculum especially as it asks readers to slow down and reflect on all the little things that make up going on something like a service trip and how biases, experiences, and demographics can impact our journey. The novel is an easy and engaging piece with lots of self-reflection points. I enjoyed reading this novel overall and felt I understood more aspects of service trips than I did before diving into Dr. Anu’s work.

[Issac Chiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond Guilt Trips is an insightful read that crosses between multiple genres. Dr.Taranath tackles issues like guilt and privilege through both personal anecdotes and stories from other students who have traveled abroad. Each anecdote helps reinforce the messages within the book and also illustrates how diverse backgrounds can influence our experiences abroad. Each anecdote also addresses the difficult emotions one might feel when traveling, and it provides advice on how to process those emotions. Through providing thoughtful analysis and questions that evoke deep reflection, Dr.Taranath can help readers become more conscientious when traveling the world.

I have never read a book that was structured like this, it was very interesting to see the different aspects of the book. There were some self-help elements and some memoir elements. There are illustrations, and Dr.Taranath feels both relatable and an expert. Due to the vast amount of anecdotes from a myriad of perspectives, it is easy to find a story that resonates with you. Each student/person’s experience relates to different ideas/biases that altered their experience on their trip. The story highlights how race plays a role in how we approach service trips and what we get out of them. There are lessons woven into the story reminding us of the takeaway from each chapter.

I appreciated the book’s message about not letting your guilt fester and prevent you from taking action. I was very fond of Dr.Taranath’s approach where she doesn't condemn or blame the reader. Instead, she questions our established systems and behaviors and provokes thought and introspection. There is a lot of hope for the future in this book, which raises the reader instead of putting them down. She lifts the burden off of many readers who feel immense guilt from their privilege. Going on service trips is encouraged, the message is to approach these trips with more mindfulness and more reflection. She urges the reader to contemplate their own circumstances and question how they can make the most out of their service trip.

I do have some minor grievances about the book, I felt that the book was quite repetitive in its message. Although it is an important one, several sections reinforce the same message. I would’ve preferred more advice and guidance on other aspects as well. Additionally, the “holding space together” sections did not manage to capture my interest, though this may differ with other readers, this was just a personal issue of mine. This was still an overall great read.

I recommend this book to every individual. All individuals can benefit from learning how to navigate privilege and guilt while also not letting it take hold of them. If we can better hold space for others as Dr.Taranath describes, we can make the world a little bit better for a few more of us. I would approach this book with an open mind, it is easygoing and accessible to everyone.

[Gabriela Antunez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World was definitely one of the most thought provoking books I’ve had the pleasure to read. Dr. Anu’s discourse discusses personal and theoritical stories; a tool that aids the audience to dive deeper into their own shortcomings and place in the world. As a person of color who has yet to travel outside the country, I was surprised by how much I was able to resonate with the themes surrounding this academic piece, and was able to convey them into my perspective on the world around me.

Before reading, I was unsure if I would be able to resonate with most of its context as I was not accustomed to traveling, nor did I know many people who did so leisurely. I was pleasantly surprised when I was met with imaginary scenarios that discussed experiences prior to travelling. In particular, I enjoyed the story where the local university students presented at a low resource high school to encourage academic improvement, but were met with questions that while may have been only teases, made them uncomfortable as they confronted their priveleges. More so, I resonated with the girl who’s monologue we explored, learning that although she may experience certain privileges as a white woman, she too felt uncomfrotable and unsafe in her position as a woman in a male dominated field. Her story made me question my own privileges, unsure if I had gotten used to my normalcy and thus ignored my presence on others.

As eye-opening as the book was, I wish I could have experienced it through the perspective of a traveler. Not having traveled before, it was easy for me to judge the characters in the book, sometimes too harshly, though I am still unclear if my harshness stemmed from my inexperience as a traveler, or from my experiences as a woman of color. That being said, I appreciate how the book left some ambiguity towards the stories inside that allowed me to ponder over the event and how I would react. That ambiguity serves me in my own self reflection, and I find it to be more helpful than having an author tell me how I should react, the consequences of the actions that followed, and such.

Dr. Anu structures her book in such a way that promotes her audience to think for themselves, providing realistic situations left and right. I can see how some readers may have been disappointed at the lack of clear instruction in how to approach their identity in foreign land, but reading this book should be enough to evaluate our identity and privilege while at home. At home, after all, is where our identities are molded. An important lesson to understand that may be overlooked, as that we should evaluate our priorities, presence, and identities before spreading them elsewhere. At home is where our normalcy has perhaps blinded us. While traveling is not inherently a bad thing, it should not be the first place we look to for soul searching.

[Jaden Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World is the quintessential travel guide for those who want to take a more sensitive and social justice oriented approach towards their future travels. The structure of the book varies quite differently from how I prefaced this review though. The book actually reads as a reflection or meditation of the author, in which she reminisces of her personal issues in travel relating to diversity and equity. The book is absolutely littered with anecdotes about the author’s experiences she’s had while traveling, and there is always an accompanying reading of the scenario. Sometimes these readings are explanations of why something happened, sometimes they are reflections of an insensitive thing which happened and what we can better do as travellers to be more mindful of the cultures we are experiencing. Now I personally had to read this book as a required reading for a class and I had little clue as to what I should expect. Readings in this class were mostly novels and short stories, so this definitely stood out to me. The writing is more sporadic and there is definitely a lot more going on here than in your typical book, but I do not think this detracts from the content. This book takes a more intellectual approach to its topic, it almost reads like having a conversation with someone, or someone telling you a story while reminiscing on old memories. I feel this makes for a more natural flow of the reading and in a way can grab your attention more than a novel with a story that you have to immerse yourself in can. You truly can just jump in at any point in this book and just understand each chapter for what it is. Most importantly, Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World tackles the concept of social justice and its relationship with traveling. Perhaps this is more apparent to others, but my first thought when traveling isn’t about whether I am being insensitive to others. Writing this as an American, I have the privilege to just pick and choose where I go and come as a tourist. This can lead to some admittedly problematic scenarios in which I disrespect a people and/or culture by my actions. My “fun” and “relaxation” could lead to others’ insult and annoyance, somewhere I travel for “vacation” could be someone else’s home. Its these simple things which go over the heads of many of us, and I feel this book does a more than adequate job at discussing these topics which can oftentimes be rather uncomfortable for us. This book helps though, it allows us to reflect on ourselves and gives us more than a few scenarios to think on further, ones which if we internalise the lesson from that experience we ourselves could avoid a scenario like it in the future. This is all to say, this book helps you to become a more mindful traveler.