Travel is one of my greatest passions. Through travel, so many things can be gained: understanding, knowledge, empathy. Pride, ignorance, fear, and hate (and, doubtless, some money...) fall away as greater things are acquired through experiencing new and diverse surroundings. As Marie Curie said, "Nothing is life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." And what better way to understand than through travel and immersion in other cultures, languages, and traditions? For travel, there is no substitute. I will not attempt to list all that places that I long to experience; only those that top my list. The specifics I give of what I would like to do in these places are extremely incomplete, as I will not know exactly where I want to go until I reach my destination.
"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment." - Hillaire Belloc
England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales; I have always had such a fascination with them! So much history packed into such a small area! I'm relatively obsessed with the Tudor period, but I love learning about all the history in this region from the Fifteenth century through the Nineteenth century. Because of the books Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre, I long to gaze upon the English countryside. Although, as far as cities go, London would be my top stop. I would absolutely adore to see Wicked and a few Shakespearean plays in the theatre district. Westminster Abbey and its Poet's Corner and coronation chair are calling my name, as is the Tower of London and it's Traitor's Gate, Tower Green, and crown jewels. As far as more modern and less timeless things go, I would die of unmitigated joy to be set loose in Harrod's. Madame Tussaud's would interest me, also, I think. When I go to England, I absolutely cannot leave without finding a nice quiet tea room in some small town and settling down for a nice snack of tea and scones, served with lemon curd and authentic Devonshire cream. I fear my heart will always lie in England!
Oh, how I do so long to pay a visit to France! With it's world renowned food and romantic architecture, can I be blamed? I've also been rather eager to try out my (miniscule) grasp of its language. It's true that I'm no fluent speaker, but I hope to be eventually. In Paris, I would adore viewing all the glorious art held in the Musée du Louvre, and I couldn't miss seeing such prominent landmarks as le Tour Eiffel, l'Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame de Paris. Actually, I learned many interesting facts about "Our Lady of Paris" when I did a project on it for my French class, not so very long ago. No trip to France would be complete without visiting the breathtaking palace of Versailles! I have always been interested in Marie Antoinette because she was executed on my birthday. A gloomy connection, but a connection none the less. Having read a book about Eleanor of Aquitaine, I would certainly like to visit the province of Aquitaine. While there, Nice and Cannes cannot escape my attention, either.
It's true; I fell in love with the awe-inspiring landscape of New Zealand while watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I would love to see the dazzling snow-capped mountains and the tranquil rolling hillsides. The sheep, the beaches, the adventure; everything on both the North and South islands!
I cannot truly determine the beginning of my fascination with this country, just as I am quite incapable of expressing the depth of my desire to see it. It could lie within the steamy jungles or the vibrant clothing and jewelry. The Jungle Book, A Little Princess, and Around the World in Eighty Days could play some role in it, but I believe my interest in the culture and the landscape are my primary reasons.
The main reason that I would like to visit Greece is the incredible amount of ancient history held there. It would be amazing to see all of the ruins that I have (willingly and, sometimes, not so willingly...) learned so much about. Mythology also captures my interest and it would be absolutely surreal to walk the paths of a place where many of them took shape. Doubtless, the Parthenon would be one of my stops, as would Pompeii.
Egyptian history and mythology has always intrigued me, as have the pyramids and the artifacts that they contain. I find the complexity of the Egyptian world extremely compelling. There is no end to the mysteries that Egypt offers, almost as there is no end to the archeological discoveries. The museum in Cairo has so many outstanding artifacts; it would certainly be near the top of my itinerary.
- Italy
- Boston, Massachusetts & Salem, Massachusetts (USA)
- China
- Japan
- Spain
- Morocco
- Barbados
- Australia
- South Africa
- Brazil
- Belize
- Germany
- Norway
- Sweden
- Belgium
- Monaco
- The Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Russia
- Thailand
- Fiji
- Alaska
"The Journey is my home." -Muriel Rukeyser
