May Book 2025

 

On the Hippie Trail by Rick Steves is a raw, funny, and thought-provoking journal of hitchhiking across Asia in 1978. At a recent talk in Hopkins, Minnesota, Chris and I listened to Rick reflect on the journey that shaped his lifelong travel ethos—and inspired this powerful book.

With warmth and conviction, Rick shared how travel—especially travel beyond our comfort zones—builds connection, cultivates peace, and changes how we see the world. Americans, he said, especially need to venture beyond the familiar. His stories, both spoken that night and written in his latest book, drive that message home.

Lessons in Travel and Writing from Rick Steves

Hitchhike from Istanbul to Kathmandu with Rick and his buddy Gene in On The Hippie Trail. Rick’s prose is easy and fluid. He uses imaginative metaphors and a conversational tone that make you feel like you’re swapping stories around a campfire. As a writer, I found his style both inspiring and instructive—especially his reminder that “when you’re right up to date, journal writing can be more vivid… you can do a better job.” That advice stuck with me. Thanks to it, I’ve returned to my 5-a-day journaling practice.

Rick doesn’t just recount a journey; he immerses you in a world that’s hard to find today. There’s no internet. No smartphones. News arrives days late through censored magazines. He and Gene navigate countries on the brink of war, dodge tainted water, and rely on friends and strangers in places where welcoming Westerners could bring serious consequences.

In 1978, fresh out of college, Rick chose to leave “the West” behind, hungry to learn firsthand about other cultures. He didn’t eschew discomfort. Instead, he leaned into it and wrote it all down. On The Hippie Trail isn’t just based on the journal he kept during his journey; it is the journal, with only minor edits. He’s been a skilled writer for a long time.   

One of the things I admired most about the book is how he balances cultural humility with unflinching honesty. He’s aware of how absurd Western travelers might seem—“strange short-panted, pale-skinned, weak-stomached, finicky people”—yet he never loses sight of the humanity all around him. Whether marveling at the serenity of pilgrims bathing in the Ganges or getting a ride on a truck held together by “field expediency,” he remains wide-eyed and respectful. 

 Rick doesn’t see travel as escapism or a checklist. “I’m an evangelist for the notion that good travel is more than bucket lists and selfies.” We couldn’t agree more.