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12 Trips in 12 Months

Make Your Own Solo Travel Magic

Audiobook
20 of 20 copies available
20 of 20 copies available

A LibraryReads pick for Notable Nonfiction

One of Book Riot's 10 Best New Nonfiction Books for Adults

Bestselling author Jen Ruiz takes readers on a trip around the globe in 12 Trips in 12 Months, defying societal expectations of what a woman is supposed to be—and empowering others to do the same.

The year before her thirtieth birthday, Jen Ruiz decided to change everything. Despite being professionally accomplished and contributing to the world as an attorney at a nonprofit, she had yet to achieve the most important goal, according to society: becoming a wife and mother. So, after more ghostings than a graveyard, tired of dating apps and sitting in a windowless office, Jen embarked on an epic challenge to send her twenties out in style.

Twelve months, twelve trips, no excuses.

She started booking flights instead of swiping right, teaching English online to cover costs. Over the course of the year, Jen descended into a volcano in Iceland, volunteered at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, called in sick to fly in a hot air balloon, and went scuba diving at an underwater museum in Mexico.

She ended up taking twenty trips, almost double her original goal.

In a moving and inspiring story, Jen invites readers along through the year wherein she decided to stop waiting for others and start living for herself, discovered the power of solo travel magic, challenged herself physically and emotionally, made meaningful connections ... and learned that she could feel fulfilled and happy on her own.

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    • AudioFile Magazine
      In her travel memoir, Jen Ruiz captures the essence of her transformative journey with a blend of vibrant storytelling and insightful narration. Feeling a compelling urge for change as she neared her thirtieth birthday, Ruiz embarked on a year-long adventure that marked a pivotal shift from her legal career to her passions: writing, travel, and blogging. Motivated to align her professional life with her interests, she set a lofty goal of taking 12 trips in 12 months. Leveraging her expertise and personal network in travel, she strategically balanced a side job to finance her aspirations. Throughout her narrative, Ruiz's enthusiasm and determination shine, infusing each chapter with the infectious joy of someone who is turning dreams into reality. Even amid challenges, her passion resonates. S.K.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Kirkus

      April 1, 2024
      Approaching 30, an attorney slowly transitions out of her office job to fulfill her dream of becoming a full-time travel blogger and influencer. Ruiz is the creator of the Jen on a Jet Plane blog and author of The Solo Female Travel Book and The Affordable Flight Guide. Her published insights into "travel hacking," including how to use airline points and miles to get free flights, earn her complimentary hotel rooms and restaurant meals in return for creating content about her perks and experiences. The year before she turned 30, the author resolved to take 12 (mostly) solo trips abroad in 12 months to such far-flung destinations as Greece, Italy, Ecuador, and Cuba, "my first dictatorship." Ruiz displays considerable shrewdness in learning how to travel safely alone as a young woman, following her credo that a solo traveler "can do absolutely anything they want on vacation without consulting or waiting for anyone else--the good life." The author sometimes broke her own rules--e.g., not getting into cars with strangers--when the vibe felt right, as when a "big, fat Italian family" invited her to join them. Though self-sufficient, Ruiz admits that she spent lots of time "secretly hoping I would meet a guy while I 'wasn't looking.'" She candidly reports on romantic entanglements with men she met during her global travels--"Greek Guy," "Chilean Guy," and "California Guy"--but the attachments didn't last. Of course, Ruiz was not truly alone in her peripatetic travels; she was often "sponsored" by restaurants, hotels, and tour companies along the way. By year's end, the author quit her office job to pursue travel blogging and writing full time. The purposeful traveler discovered that being alone is not a curse; in fact, she came to see it as a "superpower." A mostly inspiring tale of solo adventure.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      April 1, 2024

      After being dumped by her boyfriend before their New Year's Eve trip to New York City, the intrepid travel blogger Ruiz (The Solo Female Travel Book) turns in their plane tickets for a solo trip to Greece. That's where she conceives the idea of taking 12 trips in 12 months to celebrate her birthday year. She immerses herself in art in Florence, snorkels in Aruba, hikes in the Grand Canyon, embraces the flower fields of France, goes inside a volcano in Iceland, ascends in a hot air balloon in Albuquerque, has a disastrous rappelling incident in Ecuador, and more. Her packed itineraries include food and city tours. Not all goes smoothly as she is accused of stealing a golf cart in Mexico and travels by three planes and two ferries to meet a man--who, she later learns, is disinterested--in the Greek Islands. Woven throughout this engaging travel memoir is Ruiz's history of picking unsuitable men, which she works to resolve as she transitions from a career as an attorney to travel blogger. VERDICT This appealing, conversational memoir/travelogue/relationship title will be relished by travel buffs, solo women travelers, and women exploring life's options.--Sue O'Brien

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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