Around the World with a Spare Pair of Jeans

A chaotic international journey unlike anything modern globetrotters can imagine.

In her exhilarating travel memoir, Around the World with a Spare Pair of Jeans: My Adventures Along the Hippie Trail and Beyond, Jean Ramer shares her experiences as a young backpacker in 1975. A portrait of a pre-digital era, Ramer’s tales of the unpredictable, thrilling nature of analog travel highlight a shared humanity missing from today’s highly connected yet often isolating world. This is travel before Google, before smartphones, and before certainty.

Struggling as a teacher in a marginalized London neighbourhood, a frustrated Ramer quits her job and, joined by her friend Nicola, embarks on an ambitious journey through France, Italy, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Thailand en route to Australia. Armed with only two hundred pounds in traveller’s cheques, Ramer’s voyage seems unthinkable today: a Westerner travelling through the Middle East and Asia with no internet, no cell phones, and no credit cards.

Ramer’s tales provide a portal into a now unimaginable, and largely impossible, journey. Her descriptions of what she and her friend faced while navigating heavily patriarchal societies are eye-opening, where at best prying eyes made two single women feel like a circus sideshow, and at worst unwanted attention placed them in perilous situations requiring quick thinking. Ramer candidly admits her mistakes, and while her fearlessness often led her into trouble, relentless curiosity and gritty tenacity always got her out. Heartwarming and foolhardy in equal measure, Ramer’s respect for the cultures she encounters reminds readers what it means to connect with people whose lives differ vastly from their own.

Calling attention to the difficulties of travelling without a safety net while in a constant state of culture shock, Ramer lavishly details her journey in a way travellers will appreciate. Her lengthy descriptions emphasize the logistical nightmares she faced every day while attempting to secure safe, sanitary lodgings and decipher completely foreign modes of transportation. Particularly fascinating are her observations of the everyday systems that keep countries running, from navigating transportation networks to understanding the inner workings of post offices in India. Although the minutiae can occasionally feel repetitive, the inclusion of these details effectively captures an authentic backpacking experience of the era.

Notably, Ramer’s focus on how communities function elevates the memoir beyond a personal travel log. Rather than simply collecting landmarks, she seeks snapshots of daily life, offering insight into how different people live and work. Her astute observations and the relationships she develops along the way demonstrate a profound appreciation for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

While the memoir vividly chronicles the journey itself, some sections would benefit from additional historical and cultural context. Ramer’s observations of Iran, for example, become even more fascinating when viewed against the country’s dramatic political transformation shortly thereafter, and a deeper exploration of that backdrop could have further highlighted the uniqueness of her experience. Readers may also wish for more reflection on the journey’s aftermath, especially regarding Nicola and the lasting impact of these experiences. Given the remarkable nature of the adventure, the inclusion of more photographs would also further enrich this portrait of a largely vanished era of travel.

Around the World with a Spare Pair of Jeans is perfect for any travel lover fascinated by an international journey without social media or the safety of an itinerary. Ramer bestows readers with a heartfelt adventure into unfamiliar places, inviting them to explore distinctive cultures and imagine travel beyond their comfort zones. With Ramer’s vivid, must-read memoir, readers can travel the world without ever buying a plane ticket.

—CANREADS BOOK REVIEW

Published by FriesenPress

Purchase Around the World with a Spare Pair of Jeans on Indigo

www.jeanramer.com