America the Beautiful? by Blythe Roberson

You know I had to take a photo of the book with the backpack I lived out of for six months straight.

Ah yes, two travel books back to back. Though this one is very different from Emily Henry...

In this book, Blythe Roberson quits her job to travel the country... just like I did in 2011. Well, I didn't quit - my company sold its business overseas and fired everyone. But the general concept is the same! Instead of fighting with dozens of other graphic designers to get a new job in the city, I just... didn't. I gave up my lease and put my stuff in storage and planned trips for months at a time, living out of a backpack.

Roberson goes to some of the same parks I hit, aka the biggest National Parks. But there are many I didn't visit, and many I'd never even heard of, so it was really interesting to read about her experience, which was somewhat similar to mine in many strange ways, but also very unique. I too met up with friends along the way, sometimes traveling together, sometimes just crashing at their places. I too drove alone for long stretches and started to feel like life wasn't real. I too wondered why the hell I was visiting these tourist traps along with everyone else in the country.

It's a unique experience to go to a beautiful, natural place and drive around for an hour looking for a parking spot. I thought I was the only grinch who experienced that lack of luck and felt bitter about it, but no, Roberson did too. I don't think that makes it a good thing necessarily, but it makes ME feel better, and that's what matters.

In all seriousness, this is a funny book about travel and friends and getting to know yourself, perhaps too much. There's a fun hook of Roberson earning Junior Ranger badges (which I did NOT do, and now need to do it all again). She also delves into the history of many parks, which I also didn't do - I just went to experience the location and take photos (many of which are now lost thanks for the great hard drive death of 2021).

It was hard for me to read this diplomatically because I kept stopping and thinking of my own experiences, so I might venture into the Goodreads reviews and see what people said if they didn't have a road trip foundation. I'm also very tempted to unearth my travel journals and see what embarrassing book I could write about my experience...

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

I've seen Emily Henry's cute book covers everywhere but never felt compelled to read one. Also the hold lists are incredibly long at the library, so I figured I'd get to them eventually. When I went to pick up my holds (pictured), People We Meet on Vacation was just sitting on the display shelf, so I grabbed it, not knowing what to expect.

My impression of the author, based on nothing in particular, was that she was more literary than "chick lit" (don't get me started), like Liane Moriarty. And, after reading the book, I think that's true. It was a little more romance-y than I expected. When I started reading it, I was surprised, thinking, "Wow, it's so nice to consume media where a man and woman are legit just friends!" Spoiler alert: joke's on me!

That said, it's not a romance-romance book. It felt realistic but not overwhelming. What I loved most was the travel. I used to travel a lot. After my first "real" job after college closed down, I gave up my lease and lived out of a backpack for about six months, then again a few months after that spree. I was a different person then and the world is different now, so I'm glad I did it when I did, but probably wouldn't do it again. That said, I do miss traveling. And I think this book perfectly captures that freedom and wonder of going to a new place and exploring, talking to people and going with the flow. This book felt like a dozen trips in one and brought back a wave of memories.