...Just a Minute...
Edition 16I love to travel. If I learned to love flying I’d probably love travel all the more. Television’s greatest contribution to our society has been its ability to show places only dreamed of or imagined in history. I don’t read travel books much, except Blue Highways, which I recommend to everyone. There are many people who make traveling their life’s work and some of those have put their learned wisdom down in valuable caveats:
- Paul Theroux in his book, Fresh Air Fiend: What most people regard as travel is actually a vacation. Travel at its most enlightening is an ordeal. Afterward you need a vacation.
- Tim Cahill’s, writer, Rule of Travel #1: Absolutely no one is interested in the nature, quality or content of your last bowel movement. (This can certainly be applied to daily life as well.)
- John MacDonald, Travel Editor, Seattle Times: The longer the flight, the greater the chance of an obnoxious seat mate.
- Christopher Hall, writer: The higher you climb, the better you think the view is. (This obviously has great philosophical meaning, which escapes me.)
- John Flinn, traveler: If tourists don’t go there, maybe there’s a reason.
- Thomas Swick, Travel Editor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: If, as Nelson Algren once said, you should never eat at a place called “Mom’s” or play poker with a man named “Doc,” nor should you ever enter an establishment that advertises “folklore.”
- Seamus O’Banion, writer: Wanting to go someplace is an important as going there.
And I’ve saved what I believe is the best for last: From Larry Habegger, editor, Travelers’ Tales Books: Travel is like having a child: it never seems to be the right time, but if you let it happen, the rewards are inestimable and last a lifetime.