Travel Books and Movies about Self Discovery
It’s about that time of the year when the shiny new year’s resolutions are starting to get harder and harder to keep up with (trust me, I’ve missed a few days of my “doing yoga every day” goal myself). One thing that always inspires me, though, is self-discovery travel…and how other people used travel to help rediscover themselves and their priorities.
If you’re looking for that kind of motivation, too, here are twenty of the best travel books and twenty of the best travel movies about people going on adventure (sometimes in a foreign country, sometimes on a personal challenge) where they learn about themselves and how they fit into the world around them. Maybe you’ll find your next destination or remind yourself of your “why”. (These are not your traditional self help books!)
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks – on your body or on your heart – are beautiful.” –Anthony Bourdain
(Note: These are not actually listed in any particular order.)
Twenty Travel Books about Self Discovery
Eat, Pray, Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Self-Discovery/Change, Religion/Spiritual
Places Featured: Italy, India, Indonesia
Ahhh, the book that started it all for me. After some challenging relationships, Liz Gilbert realizes she needs to rediscover herself, so she sets out for Italy to discover pleasure, India to discover peace, and Bali, Indonesia, to find the balance between the two. Liz gets real and raw as she shares the people she meets, the sights she sees, and the lessons she learns along the way. (See the Travel Books and Movies Eat, Pray, Love Book Review for more.)
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Author: Cheryl Strayed
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Action & Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation
Places Featured: Pacific Crest Trail, California, Oregon, Washington, United States
Cheryl Strayed is lost–her mother (with whom she had a difficult relationship with anyway) has passed away, her marriage is over–and she isn’t handling it well–so she decides that the only way to find her way is to put one foot in front of the other on one of the most challenging hiking trails in the United States–the Pacific Crest Trail. This book takes us step-by-step through what such a hike requires and how it changes you–both physically and emotionally. (See the Travel Books and Movies Wild Book Review for more.)
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream
Author: Paulo Coelho
Genre: Fiction, Classic, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology, Religion/Spiritual
Places Featured: Spain, Egypt
Santiago is a shepherd in Spain, but, like so many of us, wants more in his life…so he sets off for the Pyramids of Egypt in search of treasure. Along his journey, he meets various characters that help him on his path, though he ends up gaining more than he set out for. This book has become a classic for soul-seekers and adventure-lovers.
The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure
Author: Rachel Friedman
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Ireland, Australia, and South America
Being twenty-something can be overwhelming–the world is just so big, you have so many options (or maybe you feel like you don’t have any), and you want to do it right, even though you’re not quite sure what that means. Feeling that overwhelm, Rachel Friedman takes herself to Ireland to get away from it all. Not realizing that decision would introduce her to a whole new world she didn’t know she was missing.
Seven Years in Tibet
Author: Heinrich Harrer
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Action/Adventure, Religion/Spiritual
Places Featured: Tibet
Many don’t realize that the Brad Pitt movie (included below!) is based on a book…which is a true story. As an Austrian traveling in India when World War II started, Harrer quickly found himself a prisoner of the British Empire, but with grit and determination, he escapes, navigates the Himalayas and finds himself in Tibet. He is welcomed into the upper classes and spends time tutoring the Dalai Lama himself. It was a challenging journey he hadn’t expected to take, but it was one that completely and deeply changed him.
Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan
Author: Jamie Zeppa
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Religion/Spiritual
Places Featured: Bhutan
Jamie Zeppa knew that signing up to be a teacher in Bhutan would be a challenge, but she wanted that kind of challenge, so she went anyway. She is scared and challenged (both physically and mentally), but, with the backdrop of a foreign country and a very different culture, she finds the growth she was looking for. It’s a personal story of discovery and transformation.
Travels
Author: Michael Crichton
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Several
Yes, the well-known thriller author Michael Crichton (known for Jurassic Park, Congo, and The Andromeda Strain) was also a traveler and, lucky for us, he used his award-winning words to describe some of his travels in this book describing his journeys around the world. Crichton has an insatiable curiosity that takes him on incredible adventures–both in the outer world and in his inner world–so this book not only allows us to learn about the world, but we also learn about him.
Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey Home
Author: Matthew Kepnes
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Several
Matthew Kepnes discovered the joy of travel early in life and never quite let it go. A collection of thoughts and essays from his travels around the world, Matthew shares things he learned while traveling about himself and the world around him. Known for writing How to Travel the World on $50 a Day, this book also includes plenty of tips on living (and making a living) overseas.
Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World
Author: Rita Golden Gelman
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Self-Discovery/Change
Places Featured: Several
Rita Golden Gelman was in her late 40’s when the world that she knew fell apart, so how did she pick herself up? She went to Mexico. She hadn’t expected that trip to truly change the direction of her life, but it did and she ended up leaving her life in L.A. for one on the road. She gets deep into each destination she visits and gets to know the people and places–and herself–on a deeper level.
The Year of Living Danishly
Author: Helen Russell
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Self-Discovery/Change
Places Featured: Denmark
Although admitting she wasn’t living the life of her dreams, Helen Russell was content with her life in London (even if it did involve a lot of hours at work, a lot of wine, and a lot of struggles with infertility). So when her husband came home announcing he had been offered his dream job in Denmark, she pauses…and after discovering that it’s the happiest country on Earth, she decides she could use more of that in her life, so they make the move and she starts her research. Fortunately, she pairs that research with her personal experiences (using a great sense of humor) and shares it in this fascinating story of delving into the many things that contribute to happiness. (See the Travel Books and Movies The Year of Living Danishly Book Review for more.)
Tracks: One Woman’s Journey Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback
Author: Robyn Davidson
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation
Places Featured: Australia
Can you imagine walking 1,700 miles with just your dog and four camels for companions? Robyn Davidson was committed to doing just that and she shares what she learned along the way in this honest memoir about the struggles and frustrations she faced as she took on this adventure. Her story includes the people she meets along the way, her relationship with her animals, and the discovery of courage she didn’t know she had. (The movie also made the list below!)
The Turk Who Loved Apples: And Other Tales of Losing My Way Around the World
Author: Matt Gross
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Several
Having spent years writing the Frugal Traveler column for the New York Times, Matt Gross knows a thing or two about traveling. This book is a collection of personal essays from his travels and includes meaningful insights into himself, his family, and the foreign cultures he visits. He highlights the struggles of traveling long-term and lessons he learned about himself and his life while doing so with a youthful gusto.
Love with a Chance of Drowning
Author: Torre DeRoche
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Action/Adventure, Romance
Places Featured: Several (mostly in the Pacific Ocean)
Love sometimes makes us do crazy things…and for Torre DeRoche that meant joining a new love as he sails around the world in his 32-foot sailboat. On this adventure, she is forced to come face-to-face with her fears about sailing, the world, and new love. With honesty and humor she shares her struggles, who they met and what they saw along the way as they learned more about themselves and each other. (Check out our Love with a Chance of Drowning Book Review for more on what we thought of it!)
The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World: Love, Loss, and Other Catastrophes–through Italy, India, and Beyond
Author: Torre DeRoche
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Italy, India
Although this is a sequel to Love with a Chance of Drowning, this book can stand on its own (and if you liked the first one, you’ll definitely like this one). Here, Torre finds herself back on the ground, but still searching for an understanding of herself and the world around her, so she sets off to explore Italy and India and brings us along with her. She’s honest about both the fears and excitement that surface while traveling.
Have Mother, Will Travel: A Mother and Daughter Discover Themselves, Each Other, and the World
Author: Claire and Mia Fontaine
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Several
This is the second book for the mother-daughter pair of Claire and Mia Fontaine. The first, Come Back, was an unforgettable first-hand account of Mia’s descent into a dark world of drugs and crime and Claire’s attempts to find her daughter and help her. In this book, the two continue to repair and strengthen their relationship while traveling around the world and sharing their different perspectives of each location. There can be some heavy subjects here (trigger warning), but they’re handled with an honest and sometimes humorous perspective.
The Longest Way Home: One Man’s Quest for the Courage to Settle Down
Author: Andrew McCarthy
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Romance
Places Featured: Several
Andrew McCarthy (yes, the actor from the Brat Pack) is what we might call an introvert or a loner–he’s witty and smart, but he just likes doing things on his own. And that is part of why he finds himself having trouble taking the big step and actually marrying his longtime girlfriend (although, *spoiler*, he does really love her)…so like every good wanderer, he hopes to find the answers he’s searching for while traveling. With exceptional storytelling, he does just that.
Graduates in Wonderland: The International Misadventures of Two (Almost) Adults
Author: Jessica Pan and Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: New York City, United States, China, France, Australia
Jessica and Rachel have been good friends since their freshman year of college at Brown University and upon graduation (despite one moving to New York City and one moving to Beijing), they vow to keep in touch throughout all the ups and downs of discovering what it means to be an adult. Lucky for us, they’ve collected all of their funny and honest emails into this book for us to enjoy the lessons they learned along the way.
The Divide: A 2700 Mile Search for Answers
Author: Nathan Doneen
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation
Places Featured: The Great Divide, Canada, United States, Mexico
The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GMDBR) is a grueling 2,700 mile bike route developed by the Adventure Cycling Association in 1997 that follows the Continental Divide through valleys, wilderness, grasslands, and desert. Nathan Doneen decided to take on this challenge and share his journey in this book that details the physical and mental struggles he faced as he searched deep inside himself for the motivation he needed to keep going on the trail and in life.
I Have Something to Tell You: A Memoir
Author: Natalie Appleton
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Bangkok, Thailand
What if you didn’t know what you wanted, but you knew you didn’t want this? What if you weren’t sure about what was coming? What if you were able to leave it all and start over? What if you asked yourself the important questions? Talented writer Natalie Appleton asks those questions as she sheds her life in Canada for one in Bangkok that brings about a whole new set of questions as she maneuvers life as an expat and begins to grow in a life she never she would have.
To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret
Author: Jedidiah Jenkins
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation
Places Featured: Several
Jedidiah Jenkins did the thing many of us dream about–he quit his job and took on the adventure of a lifetime in order to answer the question: What makes a life worth living? As he spent sixteen months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia, Jedidiah saw a lot of things and met a lot of people. He also had a lot of time to search in himself and face some questions he hadn’t wanted to face.
Honorable Mention Books about Self Discovery:
Travel Movies about Self-Discovery
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance, Self-Discovery/Change
Places Featured: Tuscany, Italy
Frances Mayes (played by Diane Lane) finds her life turned upside down when she discovers her husband is cheating on her. With the encouragement of her friends, she goes on vacation to Italy…where she spots her dream home and makes the (rash?) decision to start a new life. And, of course, starting a new life in a new country is challenge, but with the help of some new friends (and a love interest), Frances not only discovers the beauty of Italy, but also the the beauty of life. (Note: The book, Under the Tuscan Sun, is also enjoyable, but is quite different from the movie–we have a book review, movie review, and Book Club/Movie Club Guide for the Under the Tuscan Sun, too.)
Wild (2014)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation, Self-Discovery/Change
Places Featured: Pacific Crest Trail, United States
Cheryl Strayed’s mother has died, her marriage has ended, and she seems to be on a never-ending downward spiral…until she decides to take her heavy backpack and brand new boots to the Pacific Crest Trail. Played by Reese Witherspoon, Cheryl learns that a physical challenge can have some very real mental benefits. (Note: Travel Books and Movies has a Wild movie review and a book review for Wild, too–and it’s featured above!)
Into the Wild (2007)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure
Places Featured: Alaska, United States
Christopher McCandless (played masterfully by Emile Hirsch) seems to be living the dream life with a college degree, a wealthy family, and a promising career…but that’s society’s dream life, not his. So he gets rid of everything he owns, seemingly abandons his family, and looks for a free life. His adventures take him around the Western United States, working odd jobs, meeting strangers that become friends, and learning that sometimes your dream life isn’t what you expected. (Note: This movie is based on Jon Krakauer’s well-researched book, Into the Wild, that details the true story of Christopher McCandless and his family.)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Places Featured: Several
At Life magazine, Walter Mitty (played by Ben Stiller) spends his days developing the photos of others and dreaming of his own adventures. After losing an important photo negative meant for the cover of the magazine’s final issue, Walter sets out on several real adventures to find the photojournalist who took the photo and learns so much along the way. (Note: This is based on a short story by James Thurber written in 1939; I vaguely remember having to read it in school, but I’m afraid it didn’t “stick” as much as the movie.)
The Way (2010)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Action-Adventure
Places Featured: El Camino, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Daniel Avery was walking the Camino de Santiago (a well-known Catholic pilgrimage in Spain) when he was killed in a snowstorm. His father, Dr. Thomas Avery (played by Martin Sheen), travels to retrieve his son’s body and he decides to take the walk himself. He meets other pilgrims along the way–each walking for their own reason–and, with their help, walks through his grief. (Full disclosure: Walking the Camino de Santiago has been on my bucket list for years…this movie is one of the reasons.)
Tracks (2013)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure, Self-Discovery/Change
Places Featured: Australia
Tracks is the film version of a travel memoir (included above!) by Robyn Davidson (played by Mia Wasikowska) about the ninth months she spent crossing the Australian Outback with only her dog and four camels. It’s an exciting adventure that also involves many challenges and some deep introspection about life and what we choose to do with the one we are given.
The Art of Travel (2008)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Places Featured: Darien Gap, Central America
When his wedding doesn’t go off quite the way he’d planned (he finds his fiancee cheating on him with his best friend), Conner Layne (played by Chris Masterson) decides to get himself as far away as he can and he ends up in Central America where fellow travelers help him find a new definition of comfort. The film highlights the power of independent travel and adventure.
Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Historical, Religion & Spiritual, War & Military
Places Featured: Tibet
Based on a true story (see the memoir listed above!), this film (starring Brad Pitt, of course) follows Heinrich Harrier who is forced to escape World War II by finding himself in Tibet where he becomes a confidant and friend to the Dalai Lama. The unlikely duo learn from each other and face other challenges together, including threats to Tibet.
Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure
Places Featured: Several
Based on a novel of the same name by Francois Lelord, Hector and the Search for Happiness follows a quirky psychiatrist bored with life (played by Simon Pigg) as he travels around the world researching happiness. Through China, Africa, and California, Hector meets several interesting characters living very different lives, challenging him to rethink what it means to be happy. His own journey away from his long-term girlfriend and new research into being able to scan brain activity give Hector the tools he needs to look inside and define happiness in his own terms.
The Bucket List (2007)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Places Featured: Several
This is a fun feel-good movie that I often turn to when I find myself needing a light pick-me-up and reminder about life. Two complete strangers from two very different lives (played perfectly by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) end up in the same hospital room facing the same difficult questions about their lives, so they inspire each other to make a list of things they want to see and do before they die…and then they set out to complete their lists together.
Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance, Self-Discovery/Change, Religion/Spiritual
Places Featured: Italy, India, Bali, Indonesia
Another one of my go-to’s (see the Travel Books and Movies Eat, Pray, Love movie review) based on a memoir (included above, of course), this movie stars Julia Roberts as Liz Gilbert who is confused about what she wants in life. So she takes a year to explore pleasure in Italy (that means lots of gratuitous shots of food), peace in India (so many colors!), and the balance between the two in Indonesia. Some interesting characters help her along the way as Liz learns about forgiveness and facing your fears.
One Week (2008)
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure
Places Featured: Canada
Ben Tyler (played by Joshua Jackson) is diagnosed with cancer and needs immediate aggressive treatment, but, instead, he seeks adventure and heads out on his motorcycle hoping to make peace with his diagnosis, his relationships, his past and his future. Some stunning scenery and an excellent soundtrack (all thanks to Canadian artists) round out this inspiring though-provoking story.
Leap Year (2010)
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Places Featured: Ireland
Anna Brady (played by Amy Adams) is tired of waiting for her boyfriend to propose, so she decides to take advantage of a Celtic tradition that allows women to propose on February 29th. She heads to Ireland to carry through with her plan when life takes a different turn. It’s a typical romantic comedy (not going to win any awards, but enjoyable) with stunning Irish scenery as a bonus.
Into the Cold: A Journey of the Soul (2010)
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Documentary, Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation
Places Featured: North Pole
To celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Admiral Robert Peary’s 1909 discovery of the North Pole–before climate change takes away the ability to do so–Sebastian Copeland and Keith Heger travel North to spend 35 days marching across the ice to find the North Pole. It’s a challenging journey of mental and physical endurance that requires determination and fortitude and forces both to look at themselves and the way the world is changing. (See the Travel Books and Movies Movie Review for Into the Cold to find out what we really think.)
Blue Skies, Green Waters, Red Earth (2013)
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure
Places Featured: India
Inspired by The Motorcycle Diaries (another travel classic), this Indian movie follows best friends Kasi and Suni as they travel by motorcycle from Kerala to Nagaland, searching for Kasi’s love, Assi. It’s a trip full of dangers, challenges, fears, and faith. It can be difficult to find on mainstream viewing platforms, but has become somewhat of a cult classic in India and for a good reason.
Away We Go (2009)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Places Featured: United States and Canada
This not very well-known gem stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as soon-to-be parents in search of the perfect place to raise their family. They travel to various locations within the United States and Canada, reconnecting with old friends and family (lots of great actors here), observing–and ultimately deciding for themselves–what it means to be a family and what it takes to call a place a home.
Copenhagen (2014)
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure, Romance
Places Featured: Copenhagen, Denmark
William (played by Gethin Anthony) has been traveling in Europe for a few weeks and finds himself in beautiful Copenhagen, challenged with finding his grandfather who abandoned his father. He stays at a hotel where he meets the beguiling Effy (played by Federikke Dahl Hansen)–half his age. The age difference makes the budding romance and friendship a challenging one as both of them need to face their complex pasts before they can grow.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Places Featured: India
With an all-star cast (including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, and Dev Patel), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows several recent British retirees who choose to live out their days in India at the promising Marigold Hotel where all their needs are catered to in an exotic (and much more affordable) location. But, as we all know, life cannot be that easy and the retirees are met with a dilapidated hotel and culture shock–each person has their own journey and their own lesson to learn. (This delightful movie is based on a book by Deborah Moggach, but it didn’t quite make the list above because it’s actually quite different as you can read about in my The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel book review.)
Lost in Translation (2003)
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Places Featured: Tokyo, Japan
I’ll be honest, this isn’t my usual type of movie (yup, I like the “light and easy” stuff), but you can’t ignore a movie so delicately nuanced that touches on loneliness, culture shock, relationships, and all of life’s other questions set against the vibrant background of Tokyo. Scarlett Johannsen and Bill Murray star in this film (written, directed, and produced by Sofia Coppola) about two people at different stages in life who meet in a hotel bar and forge a friendship neither expected.
A Good Year (2006)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Places Featured: Provence, France
Loosely based on Peter Mayle’s memoir, also called A Good Year which received an honorable mention above, this romantic comedy follows Max Skinner (played by Russell Crowe) as he inherits a vineyard estate in Provence. Max travels to the estate, expecting to make a quick sale, but a series of misfortunes keeps him in Provence longer than anticipated. His connection to the vineyard and the people that work there grows, forcing him to take a deeper look at what he really wants out of life.
