Travel Writing

I’ve been in love with travel my whole life and having visited more than 65 countries, it was natural for me to become a travel writer. My articles and essays have appeared in many publications including The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Traveler’s Tales, Insight Guides, Salon.com, World Nomads and Moxy (UK).

If you have a few minutes you can listen to my podcasts on NPR.

Places in Time

An unusual and wild honeymoon camping in the center of Paris, dangling off a Panamanian tramp steamer, and hitchhiking across Australia, coupled with mid-life wisdom creates a delicious story of adventure, warmth and relationships.

Awards: Best Travel Book of the Year by the North American Travel Journalists Association
Best Travel Book of the Year by the Western Region of the Society of American Travel Writers
Finalist 2024 IAN Book of the Year Award
Legacy Book Press 2023
ISBN-13: 978-1737592679

“Years ago, I set out to see the world. With high spirits and little money, I traveled not only far geographically, but emotionally, toward the hearts of others. I faced the violent grief of a Mexican sheriff, celebrated a wild elopement in Turkey and was initiated into a mysterious daily ritual with an Iranian forest ranger. Looking back, I’ve tempered my youthful encounters with mid-life wisdom. My goal was to capture the spirit of all those I met and evoke for my readers these cherished places in time.”

Punch your ticket and enjoy the trip with Schur in the heartfelt and funny essays collected here, which tell the story of her journeys—both literal and figurative—through adulthood and around the world. Schur faces dangers, and continually make discoveries, with courage, luck, and an infectious zest for life. Throughout, Schur captures each new milieu in striking detail: Readers will marvel at the couple’s resourcefulness—whether securing passage on a ship or recruiting new friends to construct a home in their van—and ability to connect with key figures in every region of the globe.
— Publisher’s Weekly, Book Life

The author’s obsession with not merely observing but slipping into the fold of other cultures distinguishes the collection of essays based on her 18-month around-the-world honeymoon. She could have told a rollicking good story had she written about it immediately after returning home, but by steeping in real life for years, the tales take on a transformative power. She writes with so much humor, suspense and wisdom. This is what travel memoirs should be, and so seldom are. — San Francisco Chronicle

Schur’s determination not merely to observe, but to accept, even integrate with other cultures distinguishes this essay collection from most travel memoirs. A thrilling read…her amazing story speaks for itself. —Foreword Magazine

These essays are memorable in their reach: more than just recounting events in the life of the writer, they capture the atmosphere; they also distill the character of the local people and recount their stories. Schur’s fascinating account of her young life as a trusting, adventurous traveler will make the reader long for the seemingly carefree travel of the days before 9/11. —Library Journal

This book is a powerful story of overcoming cultural differences to fully engage with new people and new environments. The author states, “It is the delicate thread of sympathy that stitches humanity together,” and the accounts in this book remind readers about the interconnectedness shared by all of humanity. Moreover, the author’s open, honest accounts nudge readers to cherish the experience by lessening and avoiding the modern distractions which frequently interfere with or disrupt once-in-a-lifetime moments. For seasoned readers of travel writing, this book will be a worthy addition to their collections. For those looking for a new way to travel from home, this book brings the world to their fingertips. –U.S. Review of Books

A look at the beauty and good of the world. Places in Time: Reflections on a Journey is a travel memoir written in retrospect and done right. This is a travel memoir to be read on a sunny day in a nook with a favorite beverage nearby. If you like travel stories or memoirs, “Places in Time” is one not to be missed. —Rabid Reader

Places in Time by Maxine Rose Schur is an adventure-filled, captivating work that documents a couple’s intriguing experiences during their journeys across various countries and continents. Fans will love its delightful characters, riveting scenes, and informative content. —Readers’ Favorite

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Look for my essays in these travel anthologies:

Paris – Traveler’s Tales
The Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 11 – Traveler’s Tales
Wanderlust: Real Life Tales of Adventure and Romance – Random House “Passionate and Penniless in Paris” by Maxine Rose Schur
Paris in Mind – Random House
The Kindness of Strangers – Lonely Planet
A Woman’s Europe –Traveler’s Tales
Nepal – Traveler’s Tales

Schoolgirl in Tonle Sap-Floating Village, Cambodia

Embroidering a suzani, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Woman bringing offering for the New Moon, Tirta Empul, Bali

Bringing grandson to first day of Gamelan Class, Ubud, Bali

Life-size chocolate shoes in MIlan, Italy

P:ainting the horses’ hooves, at the Heriatge, St. Petersbug, Russia

Warm persimmon cake, Muslim market, Xian, China

The sculptor, Benito Ortega, Todos Santos, Mexico

Women on park bench, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Silversmith’s Temple Ca Tru Concert-Hanoi, Vietnam

The Last Supper, Muserum of Modern Art, St. Petersburg, Russia

Painting the horse’s hoove, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

Dresses for sale at Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent

Boutique in old bakery, the Marais, Paris

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