I’m on the verge of a long trip and now that my luggage is nearly packed, I’ve been looking for books to read along the journey. After searching my shelves, I’ve decided that since I’m a traveler I’ll read about traveling, but from a different era.  

 I’ve settled on writings from Medieval times:  Jewish Travellers in the Middle Ages: 19 Firsthand Accounts, edited by Elkan Nathan Adler; and The Travels of Ibn Battutah, edited by Tim Mackintosh-Smith. The books aren’t entirely new to me; I’ve read a few pages of each one, and I ended up choosing them for the chance to continue exploring the Middle Ages of Africa and Asia.

Ibn Battutah said, “Travelling – first it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” I’m excited to see what story I’m about to enter with these intrepid authors, and I’m anticipating how their travels will change my own.