The Scenic Route: Following My Inner Compass Across 12 Countries in Months

Some journeys give you answers. Others teach you how to live with better questions. There were a few things predetermined that year for Sarah Aviram: the set itinerary of twelve countries over twelve months, the group of thirty strangers who would travel together, and her work responsibilities as a remote human resources leader. Everything else? Up in the air. What followed was a year shaped by unfamiliar cultures, deep friendships, extraordinary adventures, unexpected romance, and what would become a turning point in her career. Through a dozen interconnected stories narrated from each of the countries she lived in, The Scenic Route unfolds like a travel journal, capturing experiences as they happen alongside the questions and reflections they spark. In this intimate travel memoir, Aviram meditates with a barefoot Buddhist monk in Thailand, sleds down the desert dunes of Peru, channels the fearless passion of flamenco dancers in Spain, and clings to the back of a motorbike through the relentless motion of Vietnam's streets. Emerging from these scenes is an exploration of vulnerability, identity, impermanence, and belonging--and an invitation to loosen your grip on certainty and discover what becomes possible when life's changes are met with openness and curiosity.