the art of travel

ildere

In reading “The Art of Travel,” I was struck by both the arrangement of the book as a whole, and the thoughts and themes that he drew upon. The book demonstrates a creative, eclectic approach to nonfiction, and I loved the way the author referenced authors, poets, theorists, and artists, alongside anecdotes of his own journeys. I found it made the book really engaging and rich with ideas.

One train of thought that really resonated with me can be found in the first chapter, where he discusses the search for happiness abroad. He describes the “purity…in the remembered and in the anticipated visions of a place…” (22) but points out that happiness is based upon a psychological reality, rather than an aesthetic or geographical one. He illustrates this point with the wonderful line, “I had inadvertently brought myself with me to the island” (19). This thought feels really pertinent to my situation right now. Paris is a place that I have visited and enjoyed, and one that I associate in memory with happiness. In planning my year abroad, I remembered the beauty of it, and anticipated the new places I would discover, foods I would eat, and things I would see. For the past two weeks, these material things have met my expectations, and I have been happy just walking across the street, or down the grocery aisle.

At some point, however, these pleasures will not be enough. The difference between enjoying another country as a tourist and as an inhabitant is sticking around after the aesthetic has lost its novelty, and finding happiness in the mundane, universal aspects of reality that accompany us wherever we go. My guess is that this is not as easy at initially sounds. Before leaving the states, however, I did give the idea some thought, and came to a few conclusions of my own. I think that when a person moves to another country, the change feels so dramatic that one is inclined to think that the new country will act upon them, and that he or she can passively benefit from the change of scenery with very little effort on their part, beyond the requisite sightseeing. Actually, I decided that a move like this one is the perfect opportunity to change things about yourself that you think need improving.

Being in a foreign country forces you to forgo habits that you formerly relied on. Therefore, the beginning of a trip like this one creates a vacuum, in which new habits and modes of being, both good and bad, may be formed. With that in mind, I decided to take critical look at my own habits, ranging from quotidian routines to attitudes held, and to consciously try to alter them. In doing this, I hope to find happiness that a warm croissant and a good cup of coffee can’t provide, and to emerge from the other side of the year with something really significant to show for it.