Thursday, June 25, 2009

Why I Travel


Lately I have been thinking about why I travel. I just spoke with a friend last night who is an "adventure" traveler, you know the type. Hiking up Mayan ruins, camping in the Amazon, riding a zipline in Costa Rica. Some people prefer to spend their time in museums and "historical sights" learning about the past. I certainly am no where close to an adventure kind of gal(an adventure would be to have 2 % milk in my coffee)...and I enjoy learning about history.
Yet I tire easily when museums are visited daily in foreign countries.

I have figured out my identity as a traveler.
I thoroughly enjoy experiencing daily life in foreign countries.
I should have been an exchange student. In fact, if they offered something like and "exchange family" for a week or two I would sign up in a heartbeat. I want to spend a week living like a local in Madrid, Cuzco, Belfast. I want to go to the boulangerie every day for fresh bread. I want to visit the "late night pharmacy" in Edinburgh(which closes at 7).
I think I could be called a sociology traveler.
For instance...
I love to walk up and down the aisles in a grocery or drug store. I could spend an hour doing so(just ask my mother). I love to see the yogurts, cheese, potato chips(crisps in the UK)and shampoo they offer. Sometimes it's similar brands we have at home(yoplait, pringles, garnier fructis)sometimes not.
Years later I can still recall what kind of items were on the shelf in the Boots Pharmacy in Dublin.

I'm ready to go again.

1 comment:

  1. I'm jealous of your travels. Jeramy isn't much for other countries. Hell, he isn't much for anything outside south king county! And he is a total pain in the ass to travel with because he has to be doing something constantly. Hello? Every heard of relaxation???

    Of course my picky eating makes me a horrible traveling companion :)

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