Though I don’t typically blog about the mail and feedback I get from Vagabonding readers from week to week, I recently got a couple messages that made me feel great — and reminded me why I wrote the book in the first place. Here’s one:

“I wanted to let you know that I really appreciated your insights in Vagabonding. I have been doing it for years without really having a name to capture the feeling — I just knew when I was 17 that buying that one-way ticket to Mexico City was the thing to do. Now I’m in the work phase, frothing at the bit to get back on the road. It has been 2 1/2 years since my last big voyage, and I am so ready. I quit my job and leave for South America the beginning of December. Your book allowed me to be OK with working until then, seeing this as my savings time, not dead space, and reminding me of why I put myself through this stationary existence. I recommended it to a co-worker who has been in the same boat as me. He went out and bought it and reads a little every day, savoring it. He swears he is on a place to Portugal by 2006.”

…and here’s another:

“Your book came to me at just the right time, and provided just the right words. I expected the same rusty trustafarian slant from your book that I’ve heard from local granolas who’ve traveled around the globe. Instead, I received many gifts from an articulate spiritual sojourner who wrote a book from the heart, filled with humor, thoughtful perspective, and excellent resources. Thank you for writing a book that helps me, a person going against the grain of conformity, to live my dreams. Wish me luck on my adventure!”