Hit the Road, Jack! Memoir The Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents, One Unconventional Detour Around the World by Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, and Amanda Pressner. Three twenty-something friends quit their high-pressure New York media jobs; leave their friends, boyfriends, and everything familiar behind; and embark on a yearlong backpacking adventure around the world. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. After 20 years in Britain, Bill Bryson moved back to the United States.  In his New Hampshire town, he came upon the Appalachian Trail, was intrigued, and ultimately decided to tackle the 2, 100 mile path.  A classic of American travel writing, this is one of the most hysterically funny books you will ever read. Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks. In this joint memoir, the best-selling author and his brother chronicle a three-week trip around the globe as well as the memories unleashed during their travels. Guidebooks Frommer’s Washington DC by Elise Hartman Ford. If you long to see the world, but are too young or too broke to go far, hone your travel skills by exploring what’s nearby.  If you’ve never been on the Metro, pick up Frommer’s or ask your librarian for something like it.   Off the Beaten Path: Washington DC. Think you’ve seen everything DC has to offer?  If you’re burned out on museums and monuments, check out Off the Beaten Path. Let’s Go.  Roadtripping USA. By Let’s Go Inc. Harvard Students have been advising student travelers (and the adventurous and the cheap) for decades.  Roadtripping USA offers eight different itineraries you can mix and mash based on your interests or network of cousins’ couches. 1000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz Remember the Toys ‘R’ Us Wish Book?   This is the equivalent for travelers.   As Newsweek wrote, it “tells you what’s beautiful, what’s fun, and what’s just unforgettable— everywhere on earth.”   You’ll  probably want to use this mostly to figure out places to investigate further  rather than as a practical guide; when it gets  the nitty-gritty—like where to sleep—the author seems to expect the reader to have unlimited funds. Strategies Teaching English Abroad by Susan Griffith. This book covers the perks and pitfalls of teaching English in another country.  It offers advice on the how to make yourself employable and how find a job, with regional and country-specific advice.  Volunteer Vacations across America: Immersion Travel USA by Sheryl Kane. With profiles of over 200 volunteer programs throughout the United States, Volunteer Vacations includes trips appropriate for families and teens, and presents opportunities over a wide range of categories, including wildlife conservancy, education and scientific research. Adventures Abroad: The Students Guide to Studying Overseas by Stephen E. Loflin Featuring straight talk from students who have spent time all over the globe, this book can help you plan for the realities and rewards of studying overseas.   Learn what to do before, during and after your study abroad experience. The Thinking Student’s Guide to College: 75 Tips for Getting a Better Education by Andrew Roberts. Offering tips on all aspects of the undergraduate academic experience, this book by a Northwestern University professor has the scoop on choosing a foreign university and study abroad programs. Rick Steves’ Europe through the Back Door. If love the idea of backpacking around Europe, but can’t imagine how you will deal with the stress of finding places to sleep, navigating public transportation and feeding yourself, you need this book.  While much of the information is indeed Europe-specific, there are valuable tips—on things like what to pack and how to save on food—that will prove useful to travelers visiting any number of destinations.