unbillable hours: On Bill Bryson and the Responsibilities of the Traveler
"I envy that man's career. Anyone who has the ability to travel - like Bryson, Ian Frazier, and Robert Kaplan - for a living has been given the most amazing gift."
I echo the sentiment, but the rare gift is the ability to describe the places the author visits in such a way that we see them in a fresh light. The best travel writers are able to share their voyage of self discovery as they move from place to place, and integrate their stories with the people they meet, the books they've read, the food they've eaten, and the other places they have been. In many ways, it is the stories that are magical more than the voyages.