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American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West
Raluca and M. are two thirty-something fresh divorcees who have just rediscovered love in the late summer of their lives. They have embarked on a brand new relationship together, and all they want is to explore each other’s worlds. Raluca shares the importance of writing in her life, and M. has a deep love for nature. A year and a half into their romance, M. starts planning an ambitious trip to the US with the intention of experiencing his favorite places with his new partner. This is how their passions entwine into one glorious travel adventure under the Southwestern sun. This easily being any writer’s dream subject, it later turns into Raluca’s fifth book.
AMERICAN VACATION is the result of one man’s generosity and one woman’s eagerness to give back after having been gifted a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel 12,000 miles into the Wild West for 45 days, through 7 types of natural landmarks, from 260 feet below sea level up to 14,000 feet of altitude. Together, they hiked 170 miles across 33 national, state, and tribal parks discovering iconic places and corners of paradise hidden deep within the North American landscape.
Immerse yourself in Raluca’s vivid pages, and you will see wild America through a foreign writer’s eyes who deeply appreciates the beauty of the land, and the way it is respected and preserved by the authorities and visitors. You will laugh and empathize with the author whenever she has to overcome her fears and limits, like climbing down rugged rocks in Spooky Gulch, reaching the summit of Mount White, or simply breaking down with exhaustion and overheating in Arches National Park.
American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West is Raluca Barbu's fifth book and the first one in English, the first 4 having been published in her home country, Romania. It is a travel book about the most iconic Western US landmarks, seen through the eyes of a Romanian writer. It is in many respects one-of-a-kind because no other Romanian author has traveled and written about the American West. It provides a foreign writer’s take on the American landscape and tourism through the eyes of a citizen of a former communist country.
The book is a homage given both to the beauty of the American outdoors and to young relationships that can blossom in such exotic scenery. As a vivid slice of Raluca’s travel experience, this book stands witness to a small fraction of this world's flawless beauty, which has taken hundreds of millions of years to perfect.
What makes American Vacation special is the travel narrative that Raluca has brought back as a literary genre. In a world of Google reviews, travel blogs, and vacation guides she manages to shine a light on the lost art of travel memoirs.
AMERICAN VACATION is the result of one man’s generosity and one woman’s eagerness to give back after having been gifted a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel 12,000 miles into the Wild West for 45 days, through 7 types of natural landmarks, from 260 feet below sea level up to 14,000 feet of altitude. Together, they hiked 170 miles across 33 national, state, and tribal parks discovering iconic places and corners of paradise hidden deep within the North American landscape.
Immerse yourself in Raluca’s vivid pages, and you will see wild America through a foreign writer’s eyes who deeply appreciates the beauty of the land, and the way it is respected and preserved by the authorities and visitors. You will laugh and empathize with the author whenever she has to overcome her fears and limits, like climbing down rugged rocks in Spooky Gulch, reaching the summit of Mount White, or simply breaking down with exhaustion and overheating in Arches National Park.
American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West is Raluca Barbu's fifth book and the first one in English, the first 4 having been published in her home country, Romania. It is a travel book about the most iconic Western US landmarks, seen through the eyes of a Romanian writer. It is in many respects one-of-a-kind because no other Romanian author has traveled and written about the American West. It provides a foreign writer’s take on the American landscape and tourism through the eyes of a citizen of a former communist country.
The book is a homage given both to the beauty of the American outdoors and to young relationships that can blossom in such exotic scenery. As a vivid slice of Raluca’s travel experience, this book stands witness to a small fraction of this world's flawless beauty, which has taken hundreds of millions of years to perfect.
What makes American Vacation special is the travel narrative that Raluca has brought back as a literary genre. In a world of Google reviews, travel blogs, and vacation guides she manages to shine a light on the lost art of travel memoirs.
292 pages, eBook and paperback
Published December 11, 2021
About the author
Raluca Barbu (Marchis)
6 books23 followersRaluca Barbu (formerly Marchiș) is a published author in Romania who relocated to the United States in 2019. She now lives with her daughter and husband in Illinois. Apart from writing, she has worked for over fifteen years in sales, public relations, and marketing for some of Romania's most influential companies. She currently works as an Adult Programming Specialist for an area public library in the Northwestern suburbs of Chicago.
Books by the same author:
• Oraşul din viaţa mea (My City Within), a memoir on surviving life as a YA. Grinta Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2007
• Corporatistul (The Corporate Man), a novel about losing and finding oneself while working for a multinational corporation. Tracus Arte Publishing House, Bucharest, Romania, 2012
• Selfie în oglindă. Când femeia devine mamă (Selfie In the Mirror: When a Woman Becomes a Mother), a non-fiction book on motherhood. Herald Publishing House, Bucharest, Romania, 2014
She has also written for LaPunkt.ro as a movie critic, for Apostrof, the Romanian Writers’ Union magazine, and Acribia, the Librarianship College paper in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (back in the 2000s). For five consecutive years, she wrote social and cultural pieces on her own platform, ralucabarbu.ro, which later became her fourth book, Terapie prin scris (Writing Therapy).
Her latest book, American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West is a travel book about the United States and its most iconic Western landmarks, seen through the eyes of a Romanian writer. It is in many respects one-of-a-kind because no other Romanian author has traveled and written about the American West. It provides a foreign writer’s take on the American landscape and tourism through the eyes of a former citizen of a communist country. It is a homage given both to the beauty of the American outdoors and to the way nature is respected and preserved by the authorities and visitors. What makes it special though is the travel narrative that Raluca has brought back as a literary genre. In a world of Google reviews, travel blogs, and vacation guides, she manages to shine a light on the lost art of travel memoirs.
Books by the same author:
• Oraşul din viaţa mea (My City Within), a memoir on surviving life as a YA. Grinta Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2007
• Corporatistul (The Corporate Man), a novel about losing and finding oneself while working for a multinational corporation. Tracus Arte Publishing House, Bucharest, Romania, 2012
• Selfie în oglindă. Când femeia devine mamă (Selfie In the Mirror: When a Woman Becomes a Mother), a non-fiction book on motherhood. Herald Publishing House, Bucharest, Romania, 2014
She has also written for LaPunkt.ro as a movie critic, for Apostrof, the Romanian Writers’ Union magazine, and Acribia, the Librarianship College paper in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (back in the 2000s). For five consecutive years, she wrote social and cultural pieces on her own platform, ralucabarbu.ro, which later became her fourth book, Terapie prin scris (Writing Therapy).
Her latest book, American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West is a travel book about the United States and its most iconic Western landmarks, seen through the eyes of a Romanian writer. It is in many respects one-of-a-kind because no other Romanian author has traveled and written about the American West. It provides a foreign writer’s take on the American landscape and tourism through the eyes of a former citizen of a communist country. It is a homage given both to the beauty of the American outdoors and to the way nature is respected and preserved by the authorities and visitors. What makes it special though is the travel narrative that Raluca has brought back as a literary genre. In a world of Google reviews, travel blogs, and vacation guides, she manages to shine a light on the lost art of travel memoirs.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 20, 2021
American Vacation is an epic journey wrapped in a love story! Told from a non-American perspective, this book provides unique insights and sheer delight in the American experience. Each chapter takes you on an adventure capturing the joy and awe of new discoveries. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful use of language and whimsical animal encounters along the way. American Vacation will leave you eager to plan your own trip across the vast, amazing, United States of America. Grab your cup of coffee, and get ready to take off into the great American West!
December 18, 2021
E vremea cititului într-un fotoliu confortabil, poate lângă șemineu sau bradul impodobit🌲🎁🎀
Raluca, brilianta mea sora🌟❤🌟 va propune un periplu fantastic prin America de Nord mai puțin știută, peripeții prin locuri greu accesibile, curiozități culinare locale, toate învelite minuțios cu scriitura ei magică 🌟
Bonus - fotografii 🤗
Raluca, brilianta mea sora🌟❤🌟 va propune un periplu fantastic prin America de Nord mai puțin știută, peripeții prin locuri greu accesibile, curiozități culinare locale, toate învelite minuțios cu scriitura ei magică 🌟
Bonus - fotografii 🤗
December 18, 2021
I have never had the opportunity to travel to these places, but felt like I was transported there through the authors words. A very lovely read that made me laugh out loud a few times. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend to all of my friends and family.
July 4, 2026
WONDERFUL TRAVEL & ADVENTURE MEMOIR!
An investigation and appreciation of American culture and landscape from a fresh perspective, this book compares and contrasts landscapes, hospitality, and traditions.
Raluca provides a charmingly detailed log, down to the mile-marker, restaurant stop, and exact hotel room number, so that if one chose to, they could follow in the same footsteps to have their own American western adventure. It is brimming with colorful descriptions of animals, plants, geological formations, and interesting people encountered along the way.
Emotional and physical ups and downs in regards to a less experienced traveler/ hiker getting along so well with an experienced one are demonstrated. It shows amazing resilience throughout the book for the couple to complete such an astronomical journey in one summer.
American Vacation is a must read for people who have already seen some of the famous sights of the American West, people who are planning to go someday, or people who simply wish to enjoy this great adventure from the comfort of their armchair!
An investigation and appreciation of American culture and landscape from a fresh perspective, this book compares and contrasts landscapes, hospitality, and traditions.
Raluca provides a charmingly detailed log, down to the mile-marker, restaurant stop, and exact hotel room number, so that if one chose to, they could follow in the same footsteps to have their own American western adventure. It is brimming with colorful descriptions of animals, plants, geological formations, and interesting people encountered along the way.
Emotional and physical ups and downs in regards to a less experienced traveler/ hiker getting along so well with an experienced one are demonstrated. It shows amazing resilience throughout the book for the couple to complete such an astronomical journey in one summer.
American Vacation is a must read for people who have already seen some of the famous sights of the American West, people who are planning to go someday, or people who simply wish to enjoy this great adventure from the comfort of their armchair!
August 20, 2023
Imagine sipping coffee in a comfy chair while hearing an intimate account of your best friend’s travel adventures. Raluca takes the reader along on her journey across 12,000 miles during her 45-day tour across 19 states. View America’s beautiful Western parks and monuments through the eyes of a native-born Romanian, unfamiliar with all that US state parks have to offer. You will backpack through offbeat trails, hike to high peaks and view beautiful scenery in new ways as Raluca shares the victories, setbacks and challenges she overcomes as she pushes her physical and mental limits during her road trip one life changing summer in 2018.
July 16, 2026
I recently went on my first trip to Europe. The way Raluca compares our Wild West and American culture is spot on! Fortunately and unfortunately at times. She describes her adventures with such vivid words, that a felt I was enjoying the trip along side with her. I was hooked immediately on continuing the journey and thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated her story. I am now planning my own American Vacation into the Wild West. Thank you for the inspiration. And congratulations on your Wild adventure!
May 25, 2022
A wonderful perspective of our beautiful parks and open lands. This book brings you along for the American journey of a lifetime.
August 26, 2022
A wonderful travel memoir/love story following the author and her now husband on their 45 day tour of 19 states and detailing many of America's western parks and landscapes. I was lucky enough to hear Raluca talk about her journey and to see her amazing pictures. Her perseverance while climbing Mt. White is admirable. I don't know that I could have done it. A quick and enjoyable read!
March 24, 2026
When Raluca Barbu set out on a month and a half adventure to discover America's national parks, she embraced beauty, spontaneity, and joy. When she decided to share her adventure with us through the book titled, "American Vacation," the author created a space where we can use our imagination to explore some of the most magnificent gifts of nature. From the vast forest green expanse of Pedernales Falls State Park with its emerald waters to the multicolored canyons and rock formations aspiring to the sky, to the blessedness of water found in the desert and the fiery light of Utah's Antelope Canyon - America is majestic. I feel inspired and grateful for this beautiful travel companion!
September 24, 2023
Oh, wow! What a beautifully written book about traveling through the Wild West. The author does such a wonderful job describing the land and the people, and her reactions to the environment around her so vivid and whimsical, too. I've been to a few of the destinations she visited and loved reading how her eyes absorbed the landscape. This book is for anyone who loves to travel and wants to read about destinations in a way that will leave a lasting impression on you, even before you see it for yourself!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews