Let me start by saying this isn't your typical travel anthology. The 2021 edition of The Best American Travel Writing holds up a mirror to our locked-down world, where armchair travel became the only escape.

The standout for me was 'Mississippi: A Poem, in Days' - a raw, eye-opening account that made me rethink what 'travel writing' could be. Reading it on my couch with a cup of tea, I could practically feel the humid Southern air and tension the author described.

What surprised me most was how many essays transformed mundane pandemic experiences into profound journeys. The cruise ship quarantine story had me gripping the pages like it was a thriller novel - who knew being confined to a cabin could be this compelling?

The collection isn't perfect though. Some political essays felt heavy-handed when I just wanted escapism. And yes, there's A LOT about COVID - which might trigger pandemic fatigue for some readers (it did for me around the halfway point).

Pro tip: Don't binge-read this. I found it worked best when I treated each essay like a separate trip - reading one per night with time to digest in between.

For travelers who couldn't travel during lockdowns, this book became my passport. It won't replace actual adventures, but it's probably the most honest travel writing we'll get from this unprecedented era.