Hi, it’s Vanessa, your ENLIGHTENMENT host,

I love to travel, and read books about other amazing places I love and would love to visit. I’m hoping there are other travelers, both active and armchair, who feel the same. So for us, here is the Wanderlust Book Club, which will alternate every month with the Golden State Club (books about California).

I guess because of what’s going on now with global travel, from European citizens rising up against overtourism to airlines changing their flight schedules die to more unrest in the Middle East, I’m picking a book that seems to state there’s a way to do meaningful travel still without shame or fear of being an American — Travel As a Political Act by Rick Steves..

Along with the book, I invite a special guest to each club meeting, someone who is an expert or very connected to the theme of the book and can answer our questions about the topic. So even if you haven’t finished / opened the book, you can still be part of the conversation.

For this book, we have two special guests who have done a lot of meaningful travel:

* Michael Gardella served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala, focusing on agricultural and livestock work in rural communities. Now he’s on the board of the Sacramento Valley Returned Peace Corps Volunteer nonprofit group. Michael just came back from Washington, D.C., where he attended the National Peace Corps Association conference and participated in Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, so he can share updates about what’s happening with the Peace Corps (which turns 65 next year), including efforts to strengthen volunteer support and expand the program’s reach.

*Nancy Sinnwell also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for three years, in the West African country of Cote d’Ivoire. She serves with Michael Gardella on the board of Sacramento’s Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group. Nancy’s also a member of Friendship Force International, which has the mission of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy and friendship through homestays in 60 countries.

Below is the book description . Join me at Ruhstaller BSMT for a book discussion over drinks.

Ruhstaller BSMT has a variety of beers on tap, as well as wine, kombucha, canned mocktails and sodas, and sparkling water— feel free to BYO food.

Claim your seat - Register here on our Eventbrite page.

*****

Change the world one trip at a time. In this fully revised collection of stories and lessons from the road, the New York Times-bestselling author and travel writer Rick Steves shares a powerful message that resonates now more than ever.

With the world facing divisive and often frightening events, from climate change, to rising nativism and populism, there's never been a more important time to travel.

Rick believes the risks of travel are widely exaggerated, and that fear is for people who don't get out much. After years of living out of a suitcase, he still marvels at how different cultures find different truths to be self-evident, how the people he meets wallop his ethnocentricity, and how we can learn more about our own country by viewing it from afar.

With gripping stories from Europe, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East, including a new chapter based on Rick's travels in Ethiopia and Guatemala, Travel as a Political Act is an antidote to the current climate of xenophobia. When we travel thoughtfully, we bring back the most beautiful souvenir of all: a broader perspective on the world that we all call home.