Magic and Terror of the Trek: Books about Transforming Journeys

I've been doing a lot of reading lately--mostly books by people who went on long, life-changing journeys. The parallels are striking--people who walk 1000 miles go through the same challenges and changes as people who bike, or kayak, or even in some cases hitchhike. Everyone surrenders to the magic and terror of the road, and in all these books, the writer came back changed. Here are some of my favorites:

Deep Water Passage, by Ann Linnea

In her 40s, Linnea set out to be the first woman to circumnavigate Lake Superior--in a kayak. Battling horrible weather, her own fears, the rigors of the trip, and questions about her life and her future, she succeeded. "I went looking for the rest of my life, and I found it," she says at the end of the book.

Mississippi Solo, by Eddy L. Harris

Eddy Harris canoed the Mississippi River from Minnesota to New Orleans. Harris is black, and in some places he had to travel through, as his friend described it, "where there ain't no black folks to where they still don't like us much." Despite ccasional encounters with bigots, Harris meets many strangers who reach out to him and encourage him along the way.

Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words

Peace Pilgrim walked tens of thousands of miles across America. She owned nothing, and would not accept money. She took food and shelter only if people offered it. Otherwise, she went hungry and slept by the side of the road. Wherever she went, she talked about peace. Read this book to find out what drove her to give up her past and her name to hit the road.

The Kindness of Strangers, by Mike McIntyre

Mike was bored at his job and felt life was passing him by, so he challenged himself: cross the country with no money. Like Peace Pilgrim, he would not accept money, but he would accept rides, food, and shelter if people offered it.

Walking With Spring, by Earl V. Shaffer

The classic account of the first Appalachian Trail thruhike. Earl hiked the Trail again in 1998, 50 years after his original trek. Read about the 1948 hike here. Some things on the Trail have changed quite a bit since then--others, like the generosity of people along the way, are just the same.

Walking the Trail, by Jerry Ellis

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