Happy Mother’s Day! To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of wonderful books about motherhood and travel. Satisfy your wanderlust with these staff picks!
Wild mama: one woman’s quest to live her best life, escape traditional parenthood, and travel the world, by Carrie Visintainer
Fort Collins author Carrie Visintainer makes room for adventure in the face of her newly acquired status of Mom. Visintainer allows herself to maintain her pre-Mom wanderlust as an essential part of who she is, and in the process, models what it is to be a whole person to her children. Rather than forcing herself to decide between domesticity and travel, she discovers that she should have both.
Homing instincts: early motherhood on a Midwestern farm, by Sarah Menkedick
This one is less armchair travel and more motherhood-as-adventure. Prior to becoming a mother, Sarah Menkedick traveled all over the world having extraordinary adventures. At 31, she moves into a cabin on her family’s Ohio farm and learns to appreciate the ordinary. The book is her reflection on finding meaning in the quotidian and her journey into motherhood.
At home in the world: reflections on belonging while wandering the globe : an adventure across 4 continents with 3 kids, 1 husband, and 5 backpacks, by Tsh Oxenreider
Tsh Oxenreider and her husband embark on a nine-month-long journey around the world with their three kids. The book debunks concepts of the “normal” or “correct” way to raise and educate your children. Oxenreider brings along teaching materials throughout their journey but argues that travel in itself provides a unique educational opportunity. While the book provides great insight into travelling with children, it is valuable for its reflection on the concept of home.
Phenomenal: a hesitant adventurer’s search for wonder in the natural world, by Leigh Ann Henion
After the birth of her son, Henion begins to question our shared conventional wisdom on parenting and the role of the mother in our society. Happiness lies in wanderlust for the author, and she is convinced that meeting this need is what’s best for her family. As Henion rekindles her own sense of wonder on her journey, she feels more connected to her young son who sees the world with childlike wonder every day.
Find more Armchair Travel picks in the catalog!