What's my Ideal Trip?

Most people think I am a little weird because I always want to go somewhere off the wall, or somewhere that I will most likely never go again. In a conversation with Maggie, we talked about this very idea; the idea of heading off to Thailand, the jungles of South America, or some other random place. Choosing a destination for me is as easy as throwing a dart at a world map, wherever the point sticks, I’ll go. Most people who know me would say that I have a certain knack for foreign languages and an extraordinary curiosity for culture. I have a certain way of melting into my surroundings, not just a mere a spectator but as a participant. I would say that my love of culture has even made me want to pursue my master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology … see I told you I was a weirdo.

So, now that we understand a little bit more about me, my answer as to what my ideal trip should be simpler to understand. I have no ideal trip. I have no one place in the world that I want to go to, or a certain statue or monument that I have to see before I die. I just simply want to travel. I have no expectation of anything when it comes to traveling, and that is just one of the many things that I love about myself. Some people might think it’s a cop out by saying that I do not have an ideal trip, but in reality, the nonexistence of my perfect vacation is in itself an ideal trip. Unless you have experienced going to every place in the world, you cannot really say that you choose one over the other … that’s my opinion.

Bringing it all together, and by that I mean using the Twain reading as an example, we can see the consequences of expectations. “By the door of the station-keeper’s den, outside, was a tin washbasin, on the ground. Near it was a pail of water and piece of yellow bar soap […] From the glass frame hung the half of a comb by a string – but if I had to describe the patriarch or die, I believe I would order some sample coffins.” (Twain 21/22) This is just one of the many examples Twain uses to show us that his expectations of heading west with his brother were not what he thought. Unfortunately for him, the circumstances turned out worse instead of better.

This is why I do not have an ideal trip. Having an ideal trip means having expectations about what you might see, hear, smell, or even eat. I am not sure if it was the way my parents raised me, or some genetic malfunction, but I do not travel with these kinds of expectations. Let’s be real, I expect it to be hot and sunny when I go to Belize this summer, but I hope that you understand what I mean. I cannot have an ideal trip that happens by chance: meeting a local on the street, finding that fabulous hole-in-wall restaurant, or even just accidently finding a hidden waterfall… these things cannot be expected but are the most rewarding. So, what is my ideal trip? Your guess is as good as mine, as long as we get there by plane.

Herodotus

            While reading Herodotus’s history of Egypt, I found myself very interested in what he had to say; although most of that probably had to do with me being a history major. Known as the father of history, Herodotus had taken the time to learn the different aspects of the culture that he wanted to write the history of. Throughout our reading, he chose to look deeper at what it meant to be Egyptian not only in custom and culture, but also in geography and religion. It might have seemed for many like a jumbled description, just listing everything he knew about Egypt. However, looking at Herodotus’s writings from a travel writing stand point, it is the perfect example of what people should read for travel preparation.

            Although he might not have intended to, Herodotus had created a history, If we look deeper, we can see that he actually compiled information that would be useful not only in learning about Egypt, but also for understanding it. Learning and understanding, obviously, are two different things. For those who might be wondering where I am going with this, the definitions might help. Learning is knowledge acquired by systematic study in any field of scholarly application, while understanding is the mental process of a person who comprehends.

For example, if we think back to our class discussion, Herodotus was from Greece. He was writing a history of a different culture than his. Naturally, he had learned about Egypt while in Greece; however, he understood what he had learned by his experiences traveling in Egypt.

            Today, most people are not like Herodotus. We travel all over the world without either learning or understanding the culture in which we will be immersed. It is important in today’s world to know where you are going … at least in a travel sense. An example would be when I went to Uganda two summers ago with Walsh. Part of the preparation for the trip was learning the who, what, when, where, and why of Uganda history. Well, at least the recent history anyways. It was then our responsibility to understand what we had learned in the context of our trop. If this had not been in place, all of the students would have been in complete culture shock and probably very confused as to what was going on most of the time.

            Herodotus’s history of Egypt, for me anyways, seemed very much like this type of preparation. Something that people could read in order to learn about Egypt, but also to prepare themselves to travel there. Learning and understanding, even just a small portion about the place that someone travels, can generate a whole different experience during their trip. Different cultures require different actions on the part of the traveler. This is what I have learned during my time abroad, both with my family and Walsh. 

            So, I hope that you enjoyed reading Herodotus’s history of Egypt as much as this history geek did. And if not, I hope that you at least take away a little of what I am trying to pass along. If you are planning to go abroad with Walsh or even just on vacation, remember what Herodotus’s history of Egypt exemplifies – both learning and understanding the places you plan to visit in the future.