Rachel Friedman (2) (1981–)

This was an unexpected amount of fun. It was one of my Read Harder 2017 picks, my travel memoir for task #8. It turns out that this was a perfect option for me. Friedman experience some different cultures, goes to some crazy places and even lives there a while but she does not get all judgey about the way people live or lose sight of where she has come from and the luxuries she enjoys.

That said, these travels of hers also take her on a bit of an internal journey. This I also appreciated. I show more know that some people do manage to go places and stay absolutely unchanged by them, but I relate more to Friedman on this account. Traveling changes me too. Its not so much learning about others but getting the opportunity to live in another community that looks at the world a little differently. Its hard for it to not rub off a little on me. Its hard to explain.

The point here is that Friedman recognizes this. She recognizes and relates well the value of getting outside our own communities for a while and seeing what else is out there. She's not quite trying to find herself, but I feel like that's the real journey here.

I am jealous of all the places Friedman goes. I am fairly well traveled but I haven't been to any of the countries Friedman goes to in this book. They're all on my list of places I dream of going. On the other hand, her description of the backpacker/hostel life assures me that this is not the way for me to travel. Backpacking maybe, hostels definitely not. Then again, I'm married with a little kid now. We're working on an elongated summer concept around the US to hit all 50 states one day. That's more doable in the short term.

Altogether, I really loved it. Friedman's style of writing was fun and engaging and her travels were interesting. show less

I wanted to love this book. I think it may have hit a little too close to home for me to fully enjoy it? I think everyone now is questioning what to do after college - is this all we do in life? I want so badly to have a purpose, but with the constant work work working, am I missing out on what the world has to offer? However much I loved her depiction of Ireland and the ease in how she settled into life in Australia, the South America portion of the book just gave me anxiety the entire show more time. I keep telling myself this is the only time in my life I can pickup and move to another country - no children, no husband, no rules - and this may have nudged me every so slightly closer to getting up and doing it. show less

This is some of the best travel writing I have ever read! Highly entertaining, very funny, and it makes me ready to get out my passport. Rachel is an extremely likable and relatable "character". She is honest, reflective, and insightful through the whole book. I found myself cheering her on page after page. For anyone who loves to travel, or dreams about someday setting off on an adventure, I highly recommend this book!

Rachel is 20 years old, in the midst of her college career, and doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. Maybe you can relate to at least part of this (if not keep reading anyway, especially if you like to travel). So in an attempt to shake things up she saves up her pennies and decides to spend a summer in Ireland. Turns out Ireland may not hold the answers to her future but it does give her two things: an Australian friend named Carly and the travel bug. The next thing she show more knows, our intrepid heroine is getting up before dawn in Sydney, backpacking through the Outback, wandering around Buenos Aires, mountain biking down Death Road, hiking in the Amazon, paragliding in the Andes, and contemplating her place in the world. In other words, this book is an adventure story wrapped in a story about growing up.

The Good Girl’s Guide... gives you the opportunity to explore three different continents, contemplate the all important “What next?” question that we all face going in and coming out of college, and maybe even commiserate about the external pressure to choose a lucrative and powerful career rather than following your own path (unless of course your path is a lucrative and powerful career). Rachel moves effortlessly between discussing the highs and lows of living in hostels, the experience being an American abroad, the variety of people one meets on the road, and deeper questions of what makes us happy and what we’re each here to do.

Even if you’ve just started high school and haven’t even begun to contemplate where life might take you next, you’ll love following Rachel around the world. This is the perfect book to kick off 2012 for those of you who thought To Timbuktu was one of the best books of 2011.

http://tatalonline.blogspot.com/2012/01/alex-award-watch-good-girls-guide-to.htm... show less