The excitement and joy of travel

Many pundits say that one of the hardest aspects of the recent pandemic has been the cessation of physical travel. (1) Most individuals have been isolated in their native country if not in their own home. This has led to a collapse of the worldwide travel industry and a re-evaluation of the concept of internationalism (2) and a borderless world. In addition, The Internet has left us with the fallacious belief that this loss may not actually be that severe because we can “virtually” travel, in any case. Florence, Barcelona, or Paris are only a click away. This digital reality is much like any B-grade movie. It titillates and adumbrates the edges of the experience, but it cannot provide the real phenomenon. Proponents of VR technology assure us, however, that soon our holographic voyage will actually mirror the “genuine episode,” and vice versa. (3)

Herein lies the dilemma faced by the modern tourist in the post-lockdown epoch. Since Thomas Cook (1808-1892) first organized tours to the continent in the 19^th century, (4) more and more people have eschewed planning their tour personally and engaged an agency to facilitate their trip for them. Over time, this has led to a type of tourist gluttony. People pay for a pre-packaged tour and visit the standard-assigned sights. The locals effectively bribe the tour operators and so the designated cities and establishments are always the same. The year before the virus, for instance, Venice received approximately 20,000,000 visitors – that in a population of only 55,000 permanent residents. (5)

Sadly, many of these sightseers are not truly interested in the venues they are visiting. Much like a wealthy man wanting to show off his expensive sports car but knowing nothing of its incredible workmanship, the vulgar visitor only wants to claim that he has visited an exotic site and has purchased the given valise or souvenir to justify his trip. More and more local citizens are rebelling against this type of voyager. Ultimately, VR travel may be perfect for these types of souls. An evening of beer and pretzels while digitally visiting some foreign locale could be far less expensive and will, eventually, go a long way in saving the planet from human rapaciousness.

Serious travelers, nonetheless, will never be satisfied with artificial travel. They know that human contact is the only way we can honestly realize that, thoughmy skin color may be white, black, blue, or orange, for that matter, when I cut my arm and you cut yours, the blood is always the same color – red! One of the more marvelous aspects of any voyage has always been the realization that human beings are much more the same than we are different — politics and culture creating artificial disagreements.

The new world of travel will perhaps split into two very different camps. The one wanting their basics needs fulfilled – travel as an escape from stress and boredom — without a person leaving the safety of their living room. The other will be serious ecotourism (6) — more costly and of longer duration – but one that will enhance our understanding of the planet, its people, and the treasure of human history. In this way, it will remain exciting and awe-inspiring. As the great essayist and intellectual, Mark Twain, (1835-1910) reminds us: Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.

A closing thought: When I was young, it was the dream of all fair-minded people to visit the European continent and perhaps even stay a year or two studying. It was our conceptualization of the much-touted Grand Tour (7) of earlier generations. No one returned home from this adventure unaffected. Much like war leaves the veteran with his private experiences; this adventure fueled your self-reliance and, if you were lucky, gave you an understanding of what you wanted to do with your life. You transited from adolescence to adulthood – a rite of passage. This is currently denied to a whole generation of young people who are pushed to finish high school, immediately enter university and then get a job. The result is a new type of societal malaise. We are curious and imaginative by nature. Financial stability is just not enough to kill the wanderlust that naturally sits in all our hearts. And whether it rears its head at 16 or 60, it is a call that, unfulfilled, can only damage the person, and their spirit – forewarned is forearmed. (8)

To sum up: This week, we spoke about the joy of real travel. It is something that all thinking people owe themselves.

To be noted: From Robert Louis Stevenson (9) — Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.

Just for fun: Arch of Constantine

For reflection: Is 1984 Becoming a Reality? – George Orwell’s Warning to the World

This week, on your thoughtful walk, please reflect on what travel has meant to your life.

Every day look for something magical and beautiful.

Don’t be a wage slave – critical thinking is great!

http://www.dbawageslave.com

Quote: Live your life in a state of wonder and imagination. ry

Footnotes:

1) The end of tourism?

2) How the World Will Look After the Coronavirus Pandemic