Read, Listen, Watch: Stories About Travel, Identity, And Finding Home

Travel has always been about more than destinations. Sometimes, the stories that stay with us are not the ones about the places we visit, but the ones that make us see those places differently. A book can remind us that a landscape carries generations of memories. A podcast can introduce us to someone who rebuilt a life somewhere unfamiliar. A film can show us that home is not always a fixed point on a map.

If you’re looking for books, podcasts, and films to inspire your next journey, whether that means booking a flight, exploring closer to home, or seeing the world a little differently, start with these stories.

Read: The Island of Missing Trees
A novel about love, migration, and the memories places hold

Set between Cyprus and London, The Island of Missing Trees is a story about love, conflict, migration, and the complicated ways people stay connected to the places they leave behind. The novel follows two teenagers from divided communities whose love story unfolds against the backdrop of a divided island, while decades later, their daughter searches for answers about her family history and identity.

Written by Turkish-British author Elif Shafak, whose works often explore belonging and cultural identity, the book uses an unexpected narrator — a fig tree — to reflect on how landscapes hold stories long after people have moved on. It is a reminder that places are never just scenery; they carry the memories, histories, and emotions of those who have passed through them.

Listen: Women Who Travel
Stories of solo journeys, cultural encounters, and women on the move

Travel stories have long been dominated by narratives of male explorers and adventurers, but Women Who Travel puts women’s experiences at the centre. Started by Condé Nast Traveler editors Lale Arikoglu and Meredith Carey, the long-running podcast features conversations with women sharing their journeys, from solo adventures and cultural discoveries to unexpected moments that changed how they see the world.

Rather than focusing only on destinations, the podcast explores the personal stories behind travel: why people leave, what they learn along the way, and how seeing somewhere new can change the way they see themselves.

Watch: Nomadland
A road story about reinvention, loss, and creating a new life

Following Fern, a woman who begins living out of her van after losing her home and livelihood, Nomadland is a quiet exploration of grief, independence, and finding community in unexpected places. Instead of presenting travel as an escape, the film looks at what happens when movement becomes a way of building a different kind of life.

Directed by Beijing-born filmmaker Chloé Zhao, the film reflects her signature style of blending fictional storytelling with real people and experiences. It went on to make history at the Academy Awards, where Zhao became the first woman of colour to win Best Director. More than a story about life on the road, Nomadland asks what truly makes somewhere feel like home.

Read: The Salt Path
A memoir of resilience, nature, and unexpected journeys

Raynor Winn’s bestselling memoir recounts a 630-mile walk along England’s South West Coast Path, undertaken with her husband during a period of profound personal upheaval. As they travel with only what they can carry, the journey unfolds into a reflection on finding hope amid uncertainty.

Rather than celebrating adventure for its own sake, The Salt Path lingers on the small moments of connection: with strangers, the changing landscape, and one another. Whatever readers make of its story, its central ideas about resilience, the restorative power of nature, and finding meaning in unexpected journeys continue to resonate.

Editor’s note: Following publication, The Salt Path has become the subject of public controversy after aspects of Raynor Winn’s memoir were challenged in media reports. Winn disputes those claims. We have included the book for its influence on conversations around the emotional meaning of travel, and encourage readers to explore the wider reporting alongside the memoir.

Listen: Travel Stories With Moush
Behind-the-scenes tales of culture, discovery, and meaningful journeys

Hosted by broadcast journalist and traveller Moushumi Bhuyan, Travel Stories With Moush brings together explorers, travel insiders, and storytellers to share the experiences behind their journeys.

Rather than simply listing destinations, each episode focuses on the people behind the travels: the motivations, challenges, and unexpected lessons that come with seeing the world differently. From personal adventures to conversations about culture and discovery, the podcast celebrates the stories that give journeys lasting meaning.

Watch: Past Lives
A reflection on migration, memory, and the paths we leave behind

Spanning 24 years and multiple countries, Past Lives follows Nora and Hae Sung, childhood friends from Seoul whose lives take different paths after Nora’s family moves to Canada. When they reconnect years later in New York, the film explores questions of identity, timing, migration, and the versions of ourselves that exist because of the choices we make.

Written and directed by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Celine Song, the film draws inspiration from her own experiences of moving between cultures. Through quiet conversations and moments of reflection, Past Lives captures something many travellers understand: leaving one place often means carrying pieces of it with you.

Read: The Faraway Nearby
Essays on memory, connection, and the stories that shape us

Part memoir, part collection of reflections, The Faraway Nearby explores how we make sense of our lives through stories, memories, and connections with others. Author Rebecca Solnit weaves together personal experiences, including her mother’s declining health and her own travels, alongside stories of explorers, artists, and historical figures.

Known for her essays on culture, politics, and the ways people understand the world around them, Solnit invites readers to think about journeys beyond physical travel. Sometimes, travel is not only about discovering new places, but about changing the stories we tell about ourselves.

Listen: Flourish in the Foreign
Women building lives, communities, and belonging abroad

Flourish in the Foreign explores the experiences of Black women who choose to build lives outside their home countries. Hosted by cultural theorist and oral historian Christine Job, the podcast shares personal stories about migration, identity, independence, and what it means to create a sense of belonging somewhere new.

While it is not a traditional travel podcast, that is exactly what makes it compelling. Through intimate conversations, the series looks beyond the excitement of moving abroad to explore the realities of starting over, finding community, and redefining what home can mean.

Watch: My Name Is Gulpilil
A portrait of Indigenous culture, country, and an extraordinary life

This intimate documentary celebrates the extraordinary life of David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu, one of Australia’s most respected Indigenous actors and dancers. Filmed after he received a terminal cancer diagnosis, the film gives Gulpilil space to reflect on his childhood in Arnhem Land, his rise to international fame, and the culture that shaped him.

Directed by Australian filmmaker Molly Reynolds, who has long explored Indigenous Australian stories and histories, My Name Is Gulpilil is more than a portrait of an actor. It is a reflection on connection to land, culture, and identity — and how a place can remain part of us no matter where life takes us.

Travel often begins with curiosity: a desire to see somewhere unfamiliar, meet new people, or experience a different way of life.

But the stories we encounter along the way can be just as powerful as the journeys themselves. They remind us that travel is not only about crossing borders. It is about understanding where we come from, where we belong, and the many ways people create a life in the world.

So before your next trip, perhaps start with a story. You never know where it might take you.