Our journey towards discovering a positive female road narrative is almost complete. The summit is on the horizon! If you’d like to catch up, you can learn more about the lack of this particular literary genre here, get the book here and participate in some extended watching here. Today, I’d like to bring you some extended reading in the form of articles, interviews and blogs, as well as some book recommendations to keep you moving forward in our quest towards setting the precedent for women on the road to appear in American literature in a heroic light.
Arguments for solo travel–
Why Women Should Travel Alone by Koty Neelis
A Journey to the Center of Your Self by Veronica Chambers
…and the inspiring Wikipedia page of Ida Laura Pfeiffer; Austrian, solo female round-the-world explorer and travel writer. (For those of you who enjoy going down the Wikipedia rabbit hole!)
In the words of Cheryl Strayed–
An Interview: On “Binge Writing,” Doling out Advice, and Finding Clarity by Jenn Godbout (“Write like a motherf*cker.” <3)
The Love of My Life by Cheryl Strayed from the September 2002 issue of The Sun Magazine
Books to continue our journey–
Fantasy Novel ~ Swamplandia by Karen Russell
Appalachian Trail Thru Hike Memoir ~ Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis
Cultural and Anthropological Exploration ~ Four Corners by Kira Salak
Blog obsessed–
Pacific Crest Trail ~ Dorothy’s Thru-Hike Journal
Appalachian Trail ~ An Extraordinary Hike (this solo female hiker did not summit Mt. Katahdin but I still think her blog is an awesome account of a lady setting off on her own and a powerful example that our journeys don’t always lead to our intended destinations.)
Lady Travel ~ Her Packing List
Other books by Ms. Strayed–
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
~~~
Next week I will be writing a final review of “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed.
AND…
all this reading and research about travel and hiking, along with the smell of Spring in the air, has me itching for a hiking trip. Do you have any trail recommendations? Long or short, near or far–I’d love to hear!
Finding delight. 
Do you plan to hike the Appalachian trail? Or part of it?
I would like to, yes! If all goes as planned I want to hike the the trail North-bound the Spring/Summer before my 30th birthday. I think it would be so cool to summit Mt. Katahdin right around that big 3-0 mark. 🙂
I just reserved my copy of Becoming Odyssa at the public library. i’m so excited to read it and it’s making me more excited for warm weather worthy of road tripping and hiking out west this summer. Thanks, BBerg! You capture this beautifully.