Notes from a Small Island...

I love travel writing. I just finished re-reading this old favorite from Bill Bryson, Notes From a Small Island...

Notes... follows Bill Bryson's travels throughout Great Britain - a sort of final hurrah before moving back home to the States. His goal is to travel as much of the trip by foot or public transportation, in part to highlight how easy it can be (yet how hard sometimes).

Bryson is a wonderful storyteller and he has a good eye for relaying detail with great wit and lots of humor - sometimes even laugh-out-loud humor! My favorite bits are his interactions with locals and the day to day activities - finding lodging, mishaps with trains and buses, and getting a bite to eat. These are interspersed with historical facts, his own history included, that can sometimes drag on and digress from the purpose of the book. I suspect they are there as padding, to fill out the story?

Regardless, the book is a great read if you love travel, solo travel in particular, and have an affinity for the UK (which, surprise surprise, I do!). Bryson has an arsenal of travel books that are worth taking a look at. Another favorite, Neither Here Nor There, details his travels through Europe, and if you're looking for something "American", I'm a Stranger Here Myself, written upon his return to America after living in the UK for 20 years.

Time to start a new author. I'm going with Paul Theroux, Medford born!, and his Fresh Air Fiend, snippets from his many journeys. I think this will be more of a spiritual journey as opposed to a detailed chronicle. People travel for different reasons, it can be a means for escape, an opportunity to learn, or even just an obligation. If you let it, it can be transformative. And in my opinion, almost always worth it.