Travel Advice - Experience travel

Most of us become blasé as we gain knowledge about the world around us. We begin to think that we have seen all there is to see and know all we need to know. The blasé attitude seems to peak about the same time in your life when you decide that home is a pretty good place, even for vacations! If you feel this way, read the following article to discover the greatness that lies beyond your door.

Your home is your nest. I hope that it is comfortable and that you feel safe within its confines.  After all, it is the environment that you can control more than any other. In the face of all of this comfort and safety, should you abandon the world and stay home for your vacations?  The answer is "No".

One of the most interesting aspects of life is that we continue to grow mentally  through our experience. Curiously, experience is neither fixed nor finished.

It is somewhat of a paradox to realize that human experience grows only if we actively experience ideas, concepts, and environments that are "new" to us. Travel is one of the most energizing sources of new experience. In as sense, travel really does broaden ones’ horizons by providing a more a comprehensive context for understanding the world.

You can experience Venice only by going to Venice. You can read others' reviews of Venice but they will pale in comparison to your experiences touring Venice. The replica of Venice in Las Vegas, while an incredible reproduction, provides little of the magic that one find at the real St. Mark's and little understanding of the environment and culture of the real Venice.

Have you ever been to real castle?  (No, Medieval Times theme restaurant does not count.) When you walk your first authentic castle, you will be astounded by how small it is and how uncomfortable it must have been for the castle’s inhabitants. Fighting a battle from a castle was “bad duty”. Living in a castle may have been safer than living on the outside but it is not something to which any of us would aspire. It was not until I toured Castle Harlech in Wales that I realized that castle life was less grand and on a much smaller scale than I had ever imagined.

Have you toured the British Museum or the Louvre? These two museums contain many of the great, historical accomplishments of humankind. The significance of these two treasure houses can be experienced and understood only by buying a ticket and stepping inside.

The world has other treasures to offer that are not cultural or historical but geographical. The world is endowed with physical geographies that are markedly different. You should try to experience them through your own eyes, based on comparisons with your own experiences.

Picture books and travel shows provide you an edited version of the world that includes someone else’s thoughts about what is beautiful or grand. Do not let anyone be a substitute for you. Go yourself. See it, breathe it, savor it, and form your own opinion. Doing so will broaden your experience and make you a richer person with an even richer set of experiences.

Humankind’s unique creations include the arts, architecture, culture, music, religion, science, and technology. Interestingly, your appreciation of these facets of our world can best be savored and understood in the appropriate geographical context. In other words, travel is a part of the human experience and without it, your appreciation of what humans can do will never be sufficient or complete.

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