Only Pack What You Can Carry: My Path to Inner Strength, Confidence, and True Self-Knowledge

by Janice Holly Booth

Magnetically written by former CEO of a North Carolina Girl Scout Council and award winning CEO for the Western New York chapter of a national arts-in-education organization, this uniquely engaging travel journal describes four keys to unlocking personal and spiritual fulfillment: solitude, introspection, courage, and commitment. Through a series of compelling travel essays and deeply thoughtful memoirs, Janice Booth draws readers into each adventure—ranging from a solo hike through Northern California to galloping across the fields of Ireland to a short stint with the Circus Arts learning the flying trapeze—and shares her secrets to a fuller life through traveling alone. Step by step, she demonstrates why leaving everything—and everyone—behind for a few days (or more!) is the best path to inner strength, confidence, and true self-knowledge.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Self Help

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Ten years ago, Janice tried to find someone -- anyone -- to accompany her on a trip to southern Utah to explore the mystery of slot canyons. Not only would no-one go with her (she didn't take it personally at the time, but now she's beginning to wonder...), everyone she spoke to tried to talk her out of it. "It's too dangerous! It's too weird! Your joints are creaky - what are you thinking?"

She nearly succumbed to their uninformed yet well-intentioned warnings, but decided instead to don her big girl panties and head out to the slot canyons by herself. "The best thing that ever happened to me, aside from dark chocolate, was I had to take that trip alone." That was 1998, and Janice has been addicted to solo travel ever since. More than a decade later she realizes that solo travel gave her priceless gifts. "Travelling alone changed me. It changed the way I look at life and at my future. To be able to share these epiphanies with others is also a gift."

Whether it's through personal coaching sessions or via the pages of Only Pack What You Can Carry, Janice is committed to sharing her insights about what it means to live the life you want to live. Just don't ask her to share her chocolate...

Born in British Columbia, Janice Holly Booth is a lifelong equestrienne and avid solo traveler. The former CEO of a Girl Scout council in North Carolina, and former Executive Director for the arts-in-education organization, Young Audiences of Western New York, her many accomplishments have been recognized with local and national awards, including the Presidential Medal of Arts which was awarded to the Young Audiences network during her tenure, the first time in its history the award had ever been given to an organization. Janice was presented a “Hero” award by the City of Buffalo Common Council for her efforts to revitalize the City via public access to the arts. She was also named “Woman of the Year” in 2006 by the Gaston Women’s Commission honoring her achievements and leadership in the community. Her occasional travel series in the Gaston Gazette entitled “On Adventure with Janice Booth,” inspired many of her readers to summon the courage to have adventures of their own. She is also an accomplished photographer and writer, and has published short fiction, literary reviews and editorials throughout her career. She is currently Executive Director of Classroom Central in Charlotte, NC.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was ultimately disappointed in this book. I started out really enjoying the author's story; I loved that she had been a plucky little girl who loved horses and adventure, and that she was looking to reconnect with that part of herself as a grown woman. She has an interesting life story. But she lost me when she strayed away from her own insights and experiences to give background on famous historical figures, from John Muir to Mother Teresa. Those parts felt like filler to me, as did the exercises at the end of each section. She also spent too much time on some adventures and not enough on others, and she wasn't clear about chronology. At one point in the book she has an epiphany – after losing her job – that she wants to take time off to travel the world. I was excited to read about that journey, but she never wrote of it again. I found that hugely disappointing. I love reading about people who leave it all behind to explore the world, so I felt seriously let down that she didn't share that experience, if it even ever happened. I guess we'll never know. There was also less actual travel in this book than I had assumed, considering it's a National Geographic book. Most of her trips are within the U.S.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though I continued on for a few more chapters (finally giving up due to excessive and extreme preachiness), she really lost me on page 48.

You see, earlier she'd barely managed to survive a couple of nearly fatal incidences (one a horse-riding accident, one a bout with disease) by willing herself to stay alive because "this was not how she wanted to die". Then she travels to Costa Rica, where she ends up riding a half-wild crazed horse through ocean surf while wearing a swimsuit and dangling a sarong behind her with one hand. This was to capture the perfect photograph for an advertising campaign. She's terrified she's going to fall, she's in physical pain, and she can't get the horse into the desired gallop, because she knows if she does, she might actually be killed.

And then she realizes: dying to capture an advertising campaign's photo is a "worthy exit", somehow completely unlike dying in her previous horse-related accident, or dying of a disease. Upon which realization, she loses all fear and opens herself up to the experience.

Whatever.

[Catie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was chosen as a book club read with my friend Carrie. I have kind of a closet addiction to self help/improvement books, and since this dealt with traveling, which is one of my great loves, I thought that this sounded like an intriquing book. It was okay. This book was definitely a quick read...partly because I found myself skimming over parts of the book. I found the personal stories and narrative of the author captivating and left with wanting more. I got sucked into her personal experiences in the slot canyons of Utah, and dog sledding in Minnesota. But, when it came to the sections where she talked about the importance of and how to obtain the strenth and courage to obtain the chapter themes of her book: Courage, Solitude, Introspection & Commitment I found myself losing interest and skimming. I would have marked this book with a higher rating if it was based more on her memoir of personal travels, etc. Ms. Booth seems to have led a very interesting and exciting life, and I would have liked to read more about these adventures.

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Booth had stuck to memoir this would have been a five-star book. She has led an interesting and adventure filled life. The self-help parts came off as a little preachy. Her premise of getting people out of their comfort zone is a great one, but at the end I felt like the only way to gain inner strength, confidence and true self-knowledge was to go throw myself off a mountain, high wire platform or out of an airplane! One, I can't afford to do any of those things, and, two, every single one of them is so far out of my comfort zone as to be in another stratosphere! My point being: I enjoyed reading about the experiences she had and the insights she gained through them...those insights just needed to stay personal. She didn't need to tell me what I was supposed to get from her insight.

[Joe Flood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janice Holly Booth is an adventurista who has followed her own path through life. An independent spirit, she's not one to let other people tell her what to do. Whether it's a dangerous adventure in the wilderness or managing a nonprofit organization, she's had the courage to stick to her guns. This would be a great book for young women, encouraging them to do more than they ever thought possible.

[Ide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman going through a mid-life crisis should read this book.

[Tamela Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janice is so insightful and honest. Great wisdom from a traveler and student of life.

[SheReaders Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice reminder to enjoy solitude, introspective thinking, and do things often that scare you. Courage is a muscle and should be used regularly to actually build strength so that when fear shows up, you can use your courage to push through to the other side. Another reason to make sure to do things by yourself, sit in your own silence and get to that place where you can really be honest with yourself and think about the big questions in life. I really enjoyed this book!

[Kristin Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited when I won this book, because I enjoy travelling and reading about travel, and I have traveled alone (something possessed me to up and move to Finland for 6 months when I was 21). However, as I read the book, I began to realize the book was more of the self-help genre than adventure/travel. This was a surprise considering the book is published by National Geographic.

The first chapter is Baggage; this is not to be confused with Luggage. There were no tips on how to pack; instead, Ms. Booth shares her personal and emotional baggage, and boy does she have a wealth of that. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I could not relate to her sad life experiences. The next chapter was Courage, and here is what I was looking for...a story of adventure. Ms. Booth's telling of her rappel into the slot canyons of Utah was very compelling, yet still tinged with a bit of negativity (the poor woman is just a magnet for dislikable characters).

The remaining chapters Solitude, Introspection and Commitment continued on with the theme of finding yourself and changing your life interspersed with a few travel adventures (dog sledding and trapeze school). There are even exercises at the end of each chapter to help you practice the concepts Ms. Booth has presented. I also learned some interesting facts about John Muir, Mother Teresa, Everett Ruess, and Terry Fox.

I thoroughly enjoyed the travel writing, but the rest of the book was too self-centered and preachy for my liking.

[Janet Beach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very inspiring. I found myself jotting down these hikes and adventures she had embarked out on. It filled me with excitement for all natures beauty and grandeur I have left to see. She is resilient and a survivor. Someone who won't let her collective experiences (bad and good) prevent her from being happy and ultimately living the life that is fulfilling for her. I want that. And to know age is no limit makes me even more hopeful for what time can tell. Life is constantly changing; change is the only constant.

[Alli Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book! On a 5-star rating system, I give it a 10! For the first time in my life, I finished a book and started re-reading it again. It's packed with humor, authenticity, inspiration and excitement - just like life should be! Janice's writing voice reads like a best friend wonderfully lost in a long and deeply fulfilling conversation. Her life stories are encouraging me to honor my vulnerability, be real, and turn fear of regret into motivation.

[Tj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, stimulating,and thought provoking. This book is for everyone who desires to live life fully. Not a packing list, but four essentials to carry with you through life's journey. A great gift for everyone in your life -- young and old -- who are finding their way. I don't plan on traveling alone, but I will use these four tools to find clarity in my life whenever I need to.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead-on with her description of solitude and clarity of mind (though not extremely useful when one has small children), the idea of doing what you fear is great for jump starting those who are too cautious in life and feel they're missing out on life. Intimate, fireside tone. Definitely worth reading.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I won it through first-reads - the book giveaway.
We follow the author on her personal journeys - hiking, canyoneering, dog sledding, etc and along the way we are shown ways to be courageous and introspective.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit to extreme for me. I don't agree that you need to push to such extremes to prove you are courageous. There are many everyday adventures that take a lot of courage. The first 100 pages too long and so was the ending 'epilogue'.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I started this book thinking I would love it, and continuing to be surprised by how much the author’s life mirrors my own, but in the end it was just okay.

I love the specific adventures that the author goes on including dogsledding, slot canyoneering, and trapeze school. I really liked her style of writing and I admired her courage and her story!

I did not find the actual arrangement of the book very compelling. As the stories went on, they became less convincing. While the former Olympic-trained athlete was interesting, her story on a rope course was a strangely innocent follow up to some of the other hurdles in the book. I understood the point she was trying to make about her courage and whatever, and everyone’s fears are different, it just fell a little flat for me.

I also did not enjoy the attempts to turn it into an exercise. The 4 main chapters of the book have attempts at the end to get you to journal or perform some sort of thought task to motivate you to reach your dreams. It just wasn’t necessary and the book would’ve been more enjoyable to read as just a memoir of the author’s interesting life.

When authors begin to mention the deadline of their book and how they were having trouble coming up with ideas… well, you’re giving away your own game.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it, but I also plan to travel the world for a year so I am a target audience :)

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't fully expected an instruction manual on How to Live Life, but it wasn't a bad one. The title is telling you not to carry around a lot of baggage that prevents you from achieving your dreams, but the bulk of the text tells you how to do stuff--not how not to carry stuff.

There are many examples from her life, but they''re episodes all meant to tell a story. It starts off like a memoir, and I'd hoped for one, but it quickly becomes an instruction manual and I wasn't all that disappointed.

It's full of quotable quotes. I'll give only one and hope I don't ruin the impact by quoting out of context and without all of the life lessons that make it real.

If the price of doing what you love is that you might die doing it, what is the price of not chasing your dreams or fulfilling your potential? The cost is an interior death, where your dreams, ideas, hopes and schemes wither away, leaving a hollow core to be filled with superficial distractions...

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why my Mom giving me self help books????!!!! This book is very poorly titled - while the author touches on an occasion when she packed too much for a trip, this book isn't about minimalism or cutting down on materialism or any such related theme. The book is about a woman who conquers some of her fears by traveling alone and pursuing exhilarating thrills. She spends most of the book advocating for people to purposely seek out solitude in nature and using these experiences to decide what they really want in life. The travel stories were fun to read and the only reason this is a 2 star book and not a 1 star book. I just really don't know if this woman - she of several failed relationships, and entirely convinced of her own view of how life should be lived - is who I need advice from.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not know what to expect going into this book. I picked it up from the library because I liked the cover. I was pleasantly surprised to read the words of someone who has lived an eventful life, and has taken time to reflect and extract life lessons that she then shares with readers. Oftentimes I found myself pausing to unpack the gifts of a well-crafted sentence.
Through examples of her own life and that of memorable people in history, Janice Holly Booth leads us through trials, reflections and realizations that culminate in suggested exercises at the end of each chapter, to help the reader in their own journey through courage, solitude, introspection, commitment and back again.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because I like to travel and was looking for a self help on confidence boosting. In this book Janice takes us through her life challenges and how she overcame fears to do the things she likes. While there was some pointers on how to build strength and get out and do I would have liked more focus on self help and less story on interactions with Debbie Downers at a ski lodge. It is a good insight in a traveler but that is about it.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the title and started reading it, hoping to not only pick up few self-help pointers but also appreciate the writing style. While the author started off strong sharing her traveling, horse riding experiences and her motivations for that, she became too preachy and offered exercises at the end of chapters etc. While I ‘self-help’ books to have some of these, they looked like ‘force-fitted’. After page 90, I couldn’t put myself through finishing it.

[Kačenka Schlosser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read, with many interesting ideas about life, stepping out of comfort zone and pushing our limits in order to grow. Some chapters were way too long and I skipped few pages to finish the book.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept, but found that it strayed too far from the actual narrative of adventure and self-discovery. At times it read like a self help book, which was a bit confusing. More adventure!

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my bookclub selection. It started out OK, but I got tired after the first 100 pages or so. I also disagree with her premise, the only way to grow is to face extreme physical challenges.

[Constantine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Хубаво начало, но към края вече става доста монотонна и случна.

[Chrissy Schmitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reminder to always make time for great, daring adventure!

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I'll add a proper review at some point!

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I received this book, as part of a Goodreads Giveaway, I was excited because I thought this book was someone's memoirs about traveling alone. Being that I do a lot of traveling on my own, I was curious about someone else's experiences. But this isn't about taking a solo trip to Paris or London. The author does travel alone, but she takes these big adventure trips - climbing canyons, horseback riding, dog sledding type things. She uses these experiences to talk about how a person can figure out the true purpose of her life, make necessary changes, become more introspective and accomplish life long goals.

I agree with most of what the author says, it's things I try to do in my own life on a regular basis. Find some time alone, focus on what I want out of life. I think she has some very valid advice. However, this isn't the sort of the book I usually enjoy reading. It's probably more enjoyable than most self-help books, but it's still something of a self-help book.

This book did help me though because I've recently had some worries about an upcoming trip, and the author writes quite a bit about overcoming fears. As I was reading this, I kept thinking about how she says you need to face fear and pain and discomfort in order to get what you want out of life.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really quite compelling for me. It is written by a woman in her 60s looking back at her life. She found herself along the way and dealt with her fears. This book is about understanding what frightens you and how to overcome it. Though out the book the author inserts stories from her life and other people's lives to show how they achieved goals and overcame obstacles. It talks about letting go of unimportant things in your life and focussing on the things that matter the most to you, no matter what they might be. The author includes several exercises in how to find solitude, silence, introspection and more, in your everyday life and how to help you find out who you are.

This book is worth a read if you are feeling out of step in your life or are afraid of making a big change. It opens up your eyes to the fact that you can slow down and look at your life, you don't need to rush around and lose yourself in the process.

It is worth a read. I found this book to be helpful in my life.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique theme for a book. It is almost equally self-help and adventure/nature writing. The author tackles extreme adventures (canyon rapelling, white water rafting, trapezes, and more) as well as more ordinary athletic ventures such as horseback riding and parasailing. At first it seems like she is simply chronicling her adventures which the average person probably could not relate to. Each adventure, however, then leads to a point about courage, introspection, and/or commitment. Probably the main point is to go to the precipice, literally and figuratively, and then step off.

The author is my age and has led a much more interesting life. While that could be a 'downer' it is also an inspiration for trying new things and overcoming obstacles. Sponsored by National Geographic.