Happy Heart Day, everyone!  I’m really thrilled with this week’s crop of recommended reads, as they represent such variety of topic and writing style. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Forests to Burn – Do you love the great outdoors?  Do you dream of traveling the US, visiting the most remote areas of natural wilderness, far from the madding crowds?  Many of us do.  Joshua Berman spent a summer traveling from forest to forest with the National Park Service, where he had a most unusual job.  Read this fascinating firsthand account of his experience at WorldHum.com.

Christmas in Placencia – Alex Berger, the VirtualWayfarer, writes of his solo travel experience in Placencia.  What appealed to me about this post is his firsthand account of being alone at Christmas on the road. Although he wasn’t actually “alone,” since he did what most solo travelers do–he made friends on the road to spend time with.  Would you travel solo during the holidays?

Lucky? And/or smart? Solo Women and Safety – Zoe Zolbrod connected with me this week on Twitter, and am I ever glad she did!  You must check out her blog, she’s an excellent prose writer.  She writes of her youthful adventures traveling solo. I have been captivated by her posts.  I chose this one, even though it was published in early January, because it seemed especially appropriate for my readers.

Interview with Sallie Latch – a 77 year old vagabond – Many times, we postpone traveling for a variety of excuses, such as lack of money, poor health, age, etc.  This inspirational interview by Greg Rodgers of Vagabondinglife.com just goes to show that’s all they are: Excuses.  I want to be like Sallie when I grow up.

And in honor of Valentine’s Day, I am hereby playing Devil’s Advocate by offering you:

How to Travel With Your Partner and Still Come Home a Couple – Yes, solo travel is wonderful, but what if you have a partner you want to travel with once in awhile?  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that too much togetherness–especially on the road–can sink a relationship faster than a torpedo. Lucy Corne at Bootsnall.com tackles the topic in a realistic and humorous way, acknowledging the pitfalls and giving practical advice on how to avoid them.

Photo credit:  “Reading e-mail” by tm_lv at Creative Commons.