Portraits of Travel

Laugh, cry, and feel wonder alongside 26 real-life wanderers in Portraits of Travel.

In 2015, Caroline Bouron embarked on a journey across the Pacific to discover what drives people to forsake comfort for life on the move. She ended up interviewing 26 globetrotting voyagers from 12 countries and all walks of life - cyclists, sailors, nomads traveling for weeks or years at a time. Though their reasons for roaming varied widely, the travellers shared one thing: encounters that profoundly shaped their trips and their selves.

With raw candour recalling both breathtaking vistas and bumpy roads, the voyagers recount outstanding memories from chance romantic trysts to brushes with death that forever altered their worldviews. And interspersed with travel tips and hidden gems worth visiting across the protagonists’ homelands, their stories may just provide the inspiration for your next adventure.

From lifelong nomad to novice wanderer, anyone with a flicker of wanderlust will see themselves reflected in these pages. So, grab your backpack and traverse the world through the eyes of these intrepid souls.

Born in the suburbs of Paris, Caroline Bouron studied marketing and corporate communication in Paris, Venice and Copenhagen before working for three years as a social media manager and web project manager in a communication agency in Paris. Her desire to discover the world started when she was a teenager, corresponding by letter with dozens of people around the world and receiving almost three letters a day.

In January 2015, she left behind her country to spend a year in New Zealand. To give a sense of purpose to her trip, she interviewed travellers who became a source of inspiration to continue her journey around the Pacific Ocean until February 2020. She ended up recording 26 globetrotters from 12 different countries, aged 18 to 75, who were wandering for a few weeks or several years, walking, cycling, driving or sailing.