Doctors urged a sea voyage and in 1854 Bird's life of travelling began when the opportunity arose for her to sail to the United States accompanying her second cousins to their family home. Her father "gave her [£]100 and leave to stay away as long as it lasted". Bird's "bright descriptive letters" written home to her relations formed the basis for her first book, "An Englishwoman in America" (1856), published by Murray. John Murray, "as well as being Isabella's lifelong publisher, ... one of her closest friends".