Travel Memoir

Ever since the training wheels came off her first bicycle, Julie Hammonds has loved setting out on the road alone. Her solo journeys have included road trips, peak-bagging hikes, campouts and sea kayaking adventures.

Julie spent most of 2003 traveling alone in Costa Rica and Europe. After leaving the road reluctantly that fall, she sat down with a pile of spiral-bound notebooks, thirteen rolls of photos and a recipe box packed with postcards and typed out a memoir about the healing and joy to be found in solo travel.

We have exciting news! Though this book as a whole still awaits a publisher, two pieces from its pages have seen the light of day. One excerpt won a gold Solas award from Travelers' Tales. "Leaning Left Above the Eiger" is a humorous take on why the decision to go parasailing in Switzerland should never, ever be made casually. Read it here!

Another excerpt, "The Love List," was published in an anthology called "Ask Me About My Divorce: Women Open Up About Moving On." Publisher's Weekly called out this essay for special mention, and feedback from readers has been positive. The book is for sale on Amazon and at other booksellers. There is also a fan page on Facebook. Julie participated in a reading June 22, 2009, at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon.

It's exciting to see parts of this memoir receive awards and reach publication. The completed manuscript, tentatively titled "On Solo," remains available for representation and publication.

Want a glimpse inside "On Solo"? In addition to "Leaning Left Above the Eiger," read  “Dressing the Part,” which chronicles the unexpected adventure of choosing a flamenco dress to wear to Feria, the spring festival in Seville, Spain.

Thank you for visiting! Enjoy the journey.

"Look at the grin on my face! Little did I know that a few minutes later I would be soaring above the famous Eiger ...".
~Julie

Excerpts from "On Solo"

Leaning Left Above the Eiger (Taking on a somewhat more hair-raising adventure than I imagined when I volunteered to go parasailing in the Swiss Alps)

Dressing the Part (Finding the perfect dress, with a little help from friends and strangers)