Essays that prove it’s often not the place that changes you, it’s the people—and the very act of travel itself.

The Life-Changing Magic of Doing Just Enough

By Nina Burleigh

A teaching semester in Norway reinvents the notion of downtime.

How Sailing Across the Pacific Changed My Thinking About Plastic

By Colleen Kinder

Environmental disaster lurks right below the surface.

Fear and Driving in Los Angeles

By Rachel Shukert

The author needed to move from New York to LA to become a TV writer. The only thing between her and her dreams was a steering wheel.

Testing the Limits of Love on a Tandem Bike Across Two Continents

By Carol Sachs

Shockingly, it doesn’t end how you’d think.

My Night With Aboriginal Artists Leads to Chaos—and Creative Rebirth

By Shane Mitchell

A trip to Australia’s Kimberley changed my life.

A Train Took Me 5,000 Miles From Moscow to China—and to a Whole New Life

By Peter Hessler

An epic journey by rail answers the question: Where am I going?

A Travel Writer Who’s Seen It All Still Finds Surprise and Awe in Iran

By Pico Iyer

Reading and writing about Iran could not prepare Pico Iyer for the warm, modern society that greeted him.

A Journey Into Siberia, a Wilderness of Tigers and Lost Pianos

By Sophy Roberts

A quest to find a musical instrument leads to a life of trust—and wanderlust.

One Thing Travel Can’t Fix Is a Broken Relationship

By Claire Courtade

An artist’s love affair—and an international experiment—goes awry.

Traveling With Kids Can Change Your World

By Cassandra Warner

We chose van life for our children’s sake, but it was my partner and I who learned to lighten our load.