A Day of Armchair Travel

I read about this concept in an article and couldn't help but be intrigued by it. What exactly is armchair travel? It's basically being transported to a destination without actually leaving your seat--or kitchen, or office, or wherever you happen to be situated. There are the typical mediums for armchair travel: movies, music, books, pictures, etc. But there are also some other ways to discover a place without physically going there. Food, drinks, language, art and news stories are all methods of learning, providing want-to-be travelers with the means to venture around the world, even if they cannot find the time or the money to actually do it.

To give you a better idea of what I mean, I'll give you a glimpse into what a day of armchair travel--or as the article sometimes calls it, lazy travel--can look like. As a news analyst, I spend the day perusing the internet for stories about current events relating to business, politics, technology, marketing, hospitality, lifestyle, and, of course, travel. In the morning, I traveled to the Philippines (U.S. issued a travel warning to the country), Charleston, SC (residents there are suing Carnival Cruises over their massive ship), San Francisco, CA (the Fairmont Hotel is being put up for sale), and Vancouver, Canada (Canucks fans went on a rampage after losing the Stanley Cup finals to Boston). Within the span of one work day, I can move from one coast to the other, leap over the pond, scale the terrain abroad, and cruise back on over to my desk, all before clocking out. What's even better is that I learn something in the process. I gain knowledge about a place through the events that are going on right now. News stories are a window into how people are living, responding to the daily problems, triumphs, concerns and hopes that they encounter every day. I will admit that reading through story after story can get a little tedious, despite all the fascinating things happening in our world. Also, the articles are so brief, it doesn't give me a chance to really get lost in a single location. Just as I'm getting pulled in, the final sentence approaches and I move on to the next place.

Books offer more of an opportunity to immerse yourself in a destination. As I pedalled and climbed to sweaty glory in the wee hours of the morning, I did it all from the mountain farms of southern Appalachia. I was reading Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, the story of three individuals whose lives are magically entwined through nature, love and the wilderness. I felt connected to this world I had never seen, and it made me feel like I knew what people living in that region of America are like, how they talk, their daily routines, their culture, their general environment. I still have more to read, more to learn, but I am eager to venture back there in the evening before drifting off into my own dream world.

But before going to Appalachia, I visited Spain. My friend Laura and I sat down at a table in a bustling, warm restaurant in Chicago, only to quickly drift into the kitchen of a Spanish Tapas bar, the spicy aromas wafting around our heads, penetrating our senses. The sizzling plates of spiced potatoes in tomato sauce, mushrooms stuffed with pork and cheese, and grilled fresh vegetables titillated our appetites and rocketed us into another culture completely diverse from the modern American city outside. We were in a quiant town in the Spanish neighborhoods outside Madrid, sitting at a wrought-iron table atop cobble-stone streets, sipping sweet sangria in the afternoon sun.

The perfect end to a day of armchair travel.

Killing Time in the Vancouver Airport

I had the unfortunate luck of having a delayed flight out of Vancouver a few days ago. I had just spent a relaxing weekend in Whistler--as my previous entry talks about--and I was heading back to reality in Chicago when I looked at the screen and saw a two hour delay next to my flight number. To make matters worse, being the worrier I am--and my mom being ten times worse--I was already at the airport two hours early for the orginal scheduled departure. I had over 4 hours to wait. Thankfully, I had a good book to read as well as my journal to write in.

But it can be a bit tedious reading for hours on end, and my eyes can start to hurt after looking at tiny type for too long. So the first thing I did--since it was early--was grab a coffee and a damn good cinammon roll. I usually don't indulge on such fattening and sweet food for breakfast, but I felt I deserved something delecatable to help me get through my long wait in a practically empty airport. I ventured over to the gate and took a seat. I decided to take the time to write more about my weekend and pulled out my journal. As I was penning away in earnst, more and more people began showing up, delivering the same sigh of annoyance as they saw the bright red DELAYED sign flashing. I was able to get in touch with my boyfriend to find out that the delay was weather related and it was pouring down rain in Chicago. With this information, I was able to start up a couple conversations with people who were curious about this inconvenience. Many people were only flying to Chicago to make connections to their final destination cities, so the airport became a frenzy of paniced people worrying about getting home. I felt bad, because thankfully Chicago was as far as I had to go, so it was just annoying for me to have to wait longer to get home. Whereas other people could have been stranded or stuck in other cities overnight.

To break away from the hectic ticketing area and all the families rushing around trying to find other flights, I wandered over to the duty free shops, hoping to find some good stuff to purchase. But usually the stuff they sell is really expensive. Plus, I had no room to put anything in my already overstuffed carryon. But shopping certainly killed some more time, and I was able to explore more of the airport. If you have ever been to Vancouver you know, the airport is amazing. It's massive, first of all, and the Native American decor is beautiful. I loved all the wood carvings and paintings of native tribes, it was very indicative of the culture they have in Vancouver. As most know, the 2010 winter olympic games are going to be held there, and I love how they are bringing in regional tradition with all the Native American characters and legends.

In my efforts to pass the time, my stomach began to grumble. Clearly that cinammon roll was not enough to suffice me for the full four hours. So I went in search of something more fullfilling. I found it in Tim Hortons, a coffee chain throughout Canada. They not only have a range of pastries, bagels, and coffee, but they also have a number of sandwiches, paninis, and salads. I opted for a yummy looking chicken salad sandwich and an ice tea. I felt I needed to be a little healthier with my lunch selection, seeing as my breakfast had been a sugarfest. After purchasing a snack for the four hour plane ride--yeah, on top of the delay, the flight still takes that long--I headed back over to the gate to find a seat and enjoy my airport meal. I pulled out my book, because I can't seem to eat without doing something at the same time, and began reading while I took hungry bites from the whole wheat roll. It was delicious! I really wish they had Tim Horton's in the US. Maybe someday they will.

With a full stomach and my mind preoccupied with my book, the rest of the time appeared to fly by and before I knew it my flight was finally boarding. As I sat happily on the plane, ready to head home, I thought back fondly on my unwanted time in Vancouver airport. Truth be told, it was not as bad as I had anticipated. In fact, it was kind of relaxing, laid back and carefree. A perfect end to my long weekend away from reality.

National Geographic Travel Books...

...there's an option for every traveler and trip.

Sure, in this economy people are staying at home more. But let's face it, we were meant to explore, born to roam. National Geographic.com has formulated a list of six books dedicated to travel, and each one provides the reader with a little something different.

For the literary types who fancy visiting the locales in their favorite novels--the Royal Crescent in Bath where Elizabeth Bennet walked with Mr. Darcy perhaps--, Novel Destinations is the right book. It provides a list of over 500 literary sites across the U.S. and Europe. It lays out the history of museums, houses, bars, restaurants, and festivals all featured in books and authors' lives. The book can give anyone a private tour through the pages of a classic novel.


For the volunteer--or wannabe one--in all of us, 100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life brings the world of "voluntourism" to the masses. Pam Grout gives lists of options for people with various talents and personalities. On top of that, beside each volunteer opportunity are personal trips to nearby locations, as well as tips and tricks while traveling in a new country.

How about a little getaway with the girls? 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America, 2nd Edition covers destinations perfect for birthdays, relaxation, shopping, and bonding. It's easy to pick a place, grab a friend or two, and hit the road.

Family vacations are classic...and even when you're older, they can still be fun. The 10 Best of Everything: Families gives families lists of the ten best of any kind of trip they desire. Whether it's staying local (best ice-cream shops or parks) or traveling around the world (best adventure vacations or best itineraries for London), the book provides information, tips, and fun for the whole family. (Wow, that sounded incredibly cliche.)

Road Trips are becoming increasingly more popular in this economy, seeing as it is a lot cheaper to stay around the U.S. than travel abroad. USA 101 puts together a whole array of classic American destinations--the Statue of Liberty, Liberty Bell, Golden Gate Bridge--and invites travelers to get in on the events, fairs, festivals, and small quirks that this country has to offer.

And finally, who wouldn't want to go to the Dalai Lama's favorite travel spot? I know I would. My Favorite Place on Earth begs the question: What is your favorite travel discovery? It follows the stories of celebrities as they discuss their favorite places to go. Next to each celebrity's location, the author has placed information about fun attractions and places to see while visiting these various cities and areas around the world.

So pick up a book and read about where, how, and when to travel. If anything these books should give you some pretty good ideas for future vacations.

Destination: Novel

summer reading...
Those two words used to strike fear in the hearts of middle and high school students everywhere. Who wants to spend their three months of vacation reading books for school? I mean, not only does it keep you from doing everything else you want to do, but you actually have to pay attention to plots, characters, and themes. Who knows, there may be a paper or test on them when school starts up again in fall. Like many students, I hated dealing with summer reading. I preferred reading for pleasure, choosing books that I was interested in, not books I was told to read. Now that I'm in graduate school, I have the freedom to select whatever I want to read during these long summer months. And there are some interesting new travel novels that will surely keep me entertained as I sun myself on the beach--or more than likely my porch. Here is just a quick overview of a couple books that really stood out to me.

1. Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead, by Peter Manseau-- The title alone should spark some interest. Basically, Manseau travels around the world in search of artifacts--body parts mostly--belonging to saints and other holy figures. An entertaining story about a man's desire for spiritual transcendence through these holy relics.
2. 99 Drams of Whiskey: The Accidental Hedonist's Quest for the Perfect Shot and the History of the Drink, by Kate Hopkins--Anything about alcohol has got to be entertaining, especially whiskey (extremely dangerous). Kate ventures with her friend Krysta to the distilleries of Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the U.S. in search of the best whiskeys.
   
3. I'll Never be French (No Matter What I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany, by Mark Greenside--A New Yorker turned Californian ends up in a tiny Celtic town in Brittany at the western edge of France. The book chronicles the experience of a man adapting to life in a place where he does not speak the language and is unfamiliar with how things are done. But through it all, his life changes, and he develops a second life in France.

There are plenty of other travel essay novels, but these were the ones that I was interested in reading. Also, this is what I hope to one day be doing with my life. Writing about my travels, or places I live. But perhaps I need an ulteriar motive like some of these authors, although I don't think I'll go in search of whiskey or dead saints' remains. I guess I'll have to think about what the point of my book will be.

If travel is your thing, check these books out. If not, just pick up any book and enjoy a good summer read...I promise there won't be a test.

Time Travel in Scotland

I am currently reading the novel Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. To give a brief overview without revealing too much, it basically tells the story of a woman from the 1940s who travels back in time to medieval Scotland. I'm a sucker for anything relating to history, especially when written in a fictional style. Because let's face it, it's a daunting task to get through those historical textbooks, no matter how much you enjoy the information. However, the book has yet to provide me with a great deal of historical fact, and rather focuses on this woman's struggle to fit in with the culture she has so spontaneously and eradically been thrown into.

But as I was reading a couple chapters last night--it's a slow process due to a busy schedule and a 700+ page novel--I was pleased to finally read a sample of typical events of the set period: witch trials. Now, being the pop culture enthusiast that I am, my mind immediately jumped to that infamous scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where the men bring the alleged witch forward to be tried and burned.

Sir Bedevere: There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
Peasant 1: Are there? Oh well, tell us.
Sir Bedevere: Tell me. What do you do with witches?
Peasant 1: Burn them.
Sir Bedevere: And what do you burn, apart from witches?
Peasant 1: More witches.
Peasant 2: Wood.
Sir Bedevere: Good. Now, why do witches burn?
Peasant 3: ...because they're made of... wood?

Needless to say I was playing the whole scene in my head as I was reading the book, and had to go back through a few pages to re-establish myself with the story. The chapter from Outlander, being slightly less humorous, was interesting to me. I have always assumed witch trials were pretty biased and unfair in those days, and the book seems to support that theory. But what ultimately teased my curiosity was a reference to the place where the people kept the women who were being tried as witches: These muddy, damp, dark holes in the ground. I wondered if those were still around today, possibly in some of the old villages and towns around Scotland. The whole book, in fact, has increased my desire to visit the country. I have always wanted to go and have missed a couple opportunities in the past. But I'm hoping to add it to the list of places I have had the chance to visit. From the green countryside, to old ruins of castles and towns, from traditional Scottish clothing and food, to the tales of fantasy, Scotland is a country worth venturing to for a trip. And if the picture to the right doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.