Long before I ever packed a suitcase or boarded a plane, I was living vicariously through strangers on the internet. I’d spend late nights scrolling through travel forums, reading posts from people backpacking across Europe, volunteering in South America, or teaching in faraway places. Their stories lit something in me that I couldn’t quite shake — a deep, restless feeling that my own life was standing still.
One day, I came across a thread titled “What book inspired you to travel?” I scrolled through familiar titles Eat, Pray, Love, Wild, On the Road until one comment stood out. Someone posted from a café in Morocco and said, “The Lost Girls changed everything for me.”
Of course, I had to look it up.
The book followed three friends who quit their jobs in New York City to travel the world for a year from South America to Africa to Asia. They traded comfort for challenge, routine for wonder. And as I read the description, I thought: If they can do it, why can’t I?
The only problem? My bank account was practically gasping for air. But I clicked Buy Now anyway. I knew it might overdraw my account and sure enough, it did. I was officially $5 in the red.
Still, that tiny overdraft changed everything.
Book Review: The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, and Amanda Pressner
The Lost Girls is part travel memoir, part soul-searching manifesto. It’s written by three friends who leave behind demanding careers to circle the globe together, writing honestly about burnout, friendship, fear, and the messy process of rediscovering who they are.
It’s not glossy or sugarcoated it’s raw, funny, and real. They argue. They get lost. They doubt themselves. But they also find freedom, joy, and a deeper understanding of what truly matters.
When I first read it, I related to every single page. I was exhausted from my job, my relationship, my routine. I wasn’t living the life I dreamed of, and this book cracked something open in me. It reminded me that change doesn’t start when life gets perfect it starts when you’re brave enough to take the first step.
This book became my spark the one that made me believe I could rewrite my story, travel the world, and eventually in a very roundabout way build a classroom that connects students to the world beyond their own. At this time I had no desire to teach, but ultimately this journey would lead to my passion.
If you’ve ever felt stuck or restless, The Lost Girls is your reminder that there’s more waiting for you than the same routine. It’s about finding yourself somewhere between fear and freedom and realizing you were capable all along.
And yes, for the record, I do not recommend overdrawing your bank account to buy a book especially now that there are libraries and audiobooks galore. Be smart and save your money.
But that $5 overdraft? It was one of the best “investments” I’ve ever made.