One source that provides a template for how I would like to travel is Rick Steves’ Faithful Travel (I re-watched the video here). He mentions the Thomas Jefferson quote, “Travel makes a person wiser but less happy.” I think this is what I want my travel experience to be. Obviously I enjoy being a happy person, but I’d trade pure happiness for a little more wisdom any day; besides, there’s probably no way to truly be happy, so I might as well make the trade. I read The DaVinci Code this summer, and it made me question all that I’ve ever been taught about religion; I hope that traveling to Rome next spring will do the same thing. I want to question what I am supposed to believe, because I think it will not only make me grow in wisdom, but I will also (hopefully) grow in faith once I answer those questions for myself. Steves also said, “Less happy is not a bad thing; I want the truth.” I completely agree. I would rather be saddened by the truth than happily ignorant of it.
Another source that I’d like to travel by is the introduction by Tim Cahill in The Best American Travel Writing 2006. Cahill states that travel writers are not assigned articles, but “pieces” or “stories” (he prefers “stories”)(Cahill xiv). If I ever wrote a travel book, I would find it easier to write this way, and it would probably also be more entertaining for the reader. I probably wouldn’t find it too difficult to write a “No shit, there I was” story, unless of course the story was one that moved me inwardly in some way; I love telling my friends stories about crazy things that happen to me, so writing the story down shouldn't be too much more difficult. Cahill writes, “Stories are the sole written instruments that can bring tears to our eyes, or make us laugh, or even - God forbid - compel us to think, and thereby perhaps even take a position” (Cahill xv). He also writes, “encouraging people to travel promotes tolerance and understanding” (Cahill xvi).
I hope my travel writing would do all of these things - make my readers laugh, cry, take a position, and become sadder but wiser. Oh wait, didn't I just say this type of writing would be easy? I might have to rethink that one...
I think you made a great connection with Rick Steves’ Faithful Travel. I liked how you said that we are never a time when we are actually truly happy with everything, so you better take the wisdom aspect. Also, I think it is great that you are going to Rome and will be able to figure out for yourself through first-hand experiences of what you believe from what you have read or heard.
ReplyDelete"Obviously I enjoy being a happy person, but I’d trade pure happiness for a little more wisdom any day; besides, there’s probably no way to truly be happy, so I might as well make the trade."
ReplyDeleteThis is a really inspirational way to look at traveling! I didn't even think about using Rick Steves as a source, but I'm really glad you did. And I agree with you both; I can only imagine everything unfortunate out there that people experience when traveling. To me, experiencing that kind of authentic, emotional situation is what really makes something "travel."
I applaud you on being brave enough to want to challenge "what I am supposed to believe". There aren't many of us that would dare such a thing in our wildest dreams. I agree that it is extremely important to human character development to figure things out for ourselves and ask questions when we can't seem to make perfect sense of what we have been told. I think that is the most exciting part of travel, the thinking. Though dangerous it may be, the end result is rewarding. Can't wait to read your travel books :)
ReplyDeleteI liked how you referenced Rick Steves' Faithful Travel in this entry and how you are willing to accept that travel may negatively impact your present state of happiness. This shows how you are willing to have an open-mind; which is essential for a true travel experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on rather being wiser than ignorantly happy. I thin too many people in our world are ignorant and more people should take the time out of their lives to learn. On your other point however I think it is just as important to let the people you are meeting on your travels to touch you just as much as you want to touch our readers. Although I have never written a travel piece I know that when I write creatively the characters must touch me in a way. They appear and then I give them life on the page. Some are easier than others; but before I can write something to give a reader emotion the character must give me something. I think the same would apply to travel writing.
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