Anu Taranath

Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World

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Washington State Book Award Finalist in Nonfiction
Oprah Magazine's "26 Best Travel Books of All Times"
Fodors' Travel "Best Books to Bring on Vacation"
Winner of Newsweek's Future of Travel Awards in Storytelling
Wishing Shelf Book Award Finalist
Foreward Indies Book Award Finalist
Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist
Global Shakers "40 Leaders in Sustainable Tourism"

Every year, hundreds of thousands of young people pack their bags to study or volunteer abroad. Well-intentioned and curious Westerners--brought up to believe that international travel broadens our horizons--travel to low-income countries to learn about people and cultures different from their own. While travel abroad can provide much-needed perspective, it can also be deeply unsettling, confusing, and discomforting. Travelers can find themselves unsure about how to think or speak about the differences in race or culture they find, even though these differences might have fueled their desire to travel in the first place.

In Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World, storyteller Anu Taranath begins at home, unpacking our baggage about who we are, where we come from, and how much we have. She takes us on a journey through engaging personal travel stories and thought-provoking questions, providing us with tools to grapple with our discomfort and navigate differences with accountability and connection. Yes, travel! But be mindful. Be present.