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Book Cover for: Call You When I Land: A Memoir, Nikki Vargas

Call You When I Land: A Memoir

Nikki Vargas

"I absolutely loved it. It's so good. So real and heartfelt and funny and rich with life." -CHERYL STRAYED

A RECOMMENDED READ FROM: Shondaland, Real Simple, Country Living, PureWow, Glamour, Forbes, Scary Mommy, The Daily Beast, Goodreads, The Everygirl, Zibby Mag, AFAR, and more!

A soul-stirring memoir from Colombian immigrant and travel journalist Nikki Vargas, whisking us through the countries that brought her new love, self-discovery, and the inspiration to launch the first international feminist travel magazine, Unearth Women.


At twenty-six years old, life looked a certain way for Nikki Vargas. She'd settled in New York City ready to join the ranks of the Carrie Bradshaws of the world, had landed in a promising advertising career, and was newly engaged to her college sweetheart. But between corporate happy hours and wedding dress fittings, she couldn't shake a deep underlying sense of imposter syndrome, a voice telling her that she was rocketing towards a future that didn't look like her. And so, she bought a plane ticket: first to Cartagena. Then to Panama. Then to Iguazú.

What begins with one freelance travel writing assignment escalates into a whirlwind, globe-spanning journey that would transform Nikki's life. Taking her from the street food stalls of Vietnam to the cascading waterfalls of Argentina, Nikki uncovers shocking truths about her family, comes face to face with a new love interest - or two - and ultimately turns a no-name blog into the internationally celebrated venture of Unearth Women, the first major female-focused travel publication.

Told in transporting detail and candid reflections, Call You When I Land takes the familiar story of a woman going abroad to find herself and turns it on its head, as the act of traveling becomes, for Nikki, an exhilarating career path - and ultimately a tool to champion women's voices across the world.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Hanover Square Press
  • Publish Date: Nov 7th, 2023
  • Pages: 288
  • Language: English
  • Edition: Original - undefined
  • Dimensions: 7.60in - 5.40in - 1.30in - 0.45lb
  • EAN: 9781335455093
  • Categories: Memoirs

About the Author

Vargas, Nikki: - Nikki Vargas is a senior editor at Fodor's Travel and is the Founding Editor of Unearth Women. Her writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, VICE, Zagat, Food & Wine, and more. As a public speaker she's spoken at Women's Travel Fest, Women in Travel Summit, Latino Travel Fest, Nomadic Network, The New York Times Travel Show, and New York Travel Fest. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, she is now based in New York City.

Praise for this book

"Candid and full of wanderlust." --PureWow

"Not just a travel highlight reel, Call You When I Land is also an exploration of the emotional side of hitting the road, and how just one trip can inspire you to change your life." --Shondaland

"Inspiring and raw... You can't help rooting for Vargas." -GMA

"A good travel memoir will inspire you to start researching destinations and planning your dream trip. Call You When I Land will motivate you to actually buy the tickets. Reading her words is like listening to your bestie - which you'll wish she were so you could travel with her." --Forbes

"Nikki Vargas's travel writing is invigorating... [Call You When I Land] is more than just a list of things to do in places such as Hanoi or Buenos Aires. She has smart ideas about how to make a trip mean something -- she likes to mix the expected tourist stuff (Eiffel Tower) with weird coffee shops or karaoke bars -- and she paints vivid pictures of the places she visits." --Star Tribune

"The author's sincere and passionate voice render the book supremely readable... An entertaining memoir by a globe-trotting writer with a promising career still ahead of her." --Kirkus Reviews

"Frank, engaging memoir... vivid descriptions... Though some of Vargas's leaps (travel-related and otherwise) end in spectacular crashes, she keeps telling her story with resilience, hope, and an eye for the next exciting destination." --Shelf Awareness

"Vargas' colorful, vivid storytelling provides an entertaining map for readers aspiring to become a traveler, a travel writer, or for anyone looking for a road to reinvention." --Kristin Newman, author of What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding

"Call You When I Land is a beautiful memoir that not only takes you on a journey around the world through the vivid descriptions of the places she's been, but we see Nikki's transformation and how giving herself permission to live life for herself completely changes the trajectory of her life. It is inspiring for anyone who is questioning whether or not to stick with the status quo or take a leap of faith!" -Jessica Nabongo, author of The Catch Me If You Can

"Witty and incisive, Vargas captures the universal quest to learn who we are, what we want, and how much baggage we can afford to carry. Call You When I Land reads like an over-due catch up with your most audacious girlfriend."
--Alicia Menendez, author of The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed as You Are

"Like the planes she watches as a little girl, Vargas' story soars, a tender and thrilling voyage of self-discovery. Her far-flung adventures and moments of revelation will leave readers with full hearts (and possibly, packed suitcases)."
--Nicole C. Kear, author of Now I See You: A Memoir


"In this unflinchingly raw tale of self-discovery, infused with the lushest wanderlust-inducing descriptions, Vargas transparently takes you along on her vulnerable, messy, and courageous journey towards self-love, living your true calling, and the bravery it requires of you. Thank you for putting into words what fellow kindred spirits will instantly recognize - the healing, freeing, and transformative power of travel. This memoir is a true testament to showing up fully as yourself in this world."
--Lola Akinmade Åkerström, author of In Every Mirror She's Black