Travel is one of our most precious freedoms. From a young age, we are drawn to captivating and faraway places. The impetus to stretch our horizons, to go around the next bend, to meet new people and search out uncharted lands, is powerful and inviting. Today travel is faster than ever before; in the space of one or two days, we can be almost anywhere in the world. And yet, regardless of our destination, it is ultimately the journey that is the source of our most treasured tales and the wellspring of Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul®.

Be it a romantic weekend getaway, a hurried business trip, or an extended overseas adventure, travel provides us with immeasurable opportunities to enhance, enrich and expand our lives. Our senses are bombarded by the new and the unfamiliar. We encounter a myriad of novel customs, fresh faces, and magical moments that transform the way we think and how we feel. We face an array of challenges that test our deepest-held beliefs and, in the process, we learn more about who we are and who we can be. We learn not to fear the unknown but to savor its many surprises. We learn to live less in our heads and more in our hearts. We form friendships, fall in love, cherish the hospitality of people we've only just met, and find ways to make a real difference in our world.

We learn to trust the untraveled path, to revel in our wanderlust and to nurture our intrepid soul. We begin to view our electronic tickets as opportunities for greater understanding and personal growth, precious passports to a richer and deeper connection with our fellow human beings.

Over the course of the last three years, we have heard from thousands of travelers wishing to share their own unique experience of travel's boundless possibilities. We hope that the selections found in Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul® will take you on an unforgettable and heartwarming voyage of inspiration, adventure, and insight.

Whether you're just contemplating some time off or are already on your way, Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul®will inspire you to exercise your freedom to travel, to appreciate the very best the road has to offer and to view life in a bold and refreshing light.

In the words of St. Augustine, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page."


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