Marathon Tourism

Seeing other peoples blogs inspired me to do a post about running. Since the temperature got above 40, I went running last Sunday and got completely lost running through parts of Brookline I've never seen before. I've enjoy running for its physical challenges, but mostly as a way of seeing new places, even those in my own neighborhood. I've lived in 5 apartments in the last 5 years in all different parts of the Metro Boston area, so I've got to see a lot. Proof of this is that I have no interest whatsoever in running on a treadmill. I want to see and explore new places and especially enjoy running in the woods. Being on the track and cross country teams in high school was a great experience, especially because Walpole, MA is full of woods and great trails.



In 2004, I was working full time at a travel company and part time in a restaurant when a friend as I decided we were going to run the Chicago Marathon. I got into the best shape of my life and was so focused on being able to physically handle it, I didn't think much about the scenery. I've been to Chicago many times, but never like this. I got to see over 26 miles of urban landscapes including wealthy North Shore neighborhoods, LaSalle St. full of skyscrapers, Chinatown, Pilsen and many more. Check out the route here. Can you spot me in the picture? After working 12-14 hour shifts daily in the restaurant, after it was over in just over 4 hours seemed almost uneventful. I was more proud of having visited the 26 mile stretch than the actual running part.

My Dad is 61 and is trying to run a marathon in all 50 states. He only has 5 left! I know that one of the main reasons he is doing this is all of the amazing things he sees on along the routes and journeys to get there. He plans to finish in Colorado in the summer of 2010 and our whole family plans on being there. I am looking forward to warmer weather to revive my wandering spirit.

Groundhog Day

Tonight at the Coolidge Corner theater in Brookline, they're showing Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. What does that have to do with the content of this blog? everything. Trapped in place he didn't want to be to begin with, the protagonist finds hedonistic, romantic, and altruistic pleasures by focusing on changing life's daily routine and trying something new. If you had to live the same day over and over again how would you change it? We tend to schedule too many things during our vacations, when we should be allowing for more spontaneity.

In January of 2004 I spent about 6 weeks traveling solo in Chile, Argentina, and Peru. Many 6 week periods in my life have gone by since then, but none more influential. I learned more about myself in that time period because each day, despite at times traveling with new friends, I started with a blank slate. Very few places I went to I had seen pictures of or too much about. It is that sense of discovery and desire to make each different than the day before that still drives me every day.

Here is a list of countries I've been to so far in chronological order,

Canada
Mexico
Costa Rica
Panama
Spain
Chile
Argentina
Peru
China(including Hong Kong and Macau)
El Salvador
Guatemala

I can still remember details from almost everyday I was in those places, and very few during the years where I was waiting tables, carrying out the same routine. I look forward to future opportunities for the same.

Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain is my favorite modern travel writer who also managed to create and star in one of the most entertaining globe-trotting shows on right now, No Reservations. He has proven that travel to non-traditional destinations is highly entertaining and is an inspiration to chef's and travelers everywhere. Since my blog has only moderate entertainment value, check out his blog and this clip where he visits one of my favorite places, Peru.

The Innocents Abroad 1869 / Study Abroad 2009

“We wish to learn all the curious, outlandish ways of all the different countries, so that we can ‘show off’ and astonish people when we get home. We wish to excite the envy of our own untraveled friends with our strange foreign fashions which we can’t shake off...The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become, until he goes abroad. I speak now, of course, in the supposition that the gentle reader has not been abroad, and therefore is not already a consummate ass.”—Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, 1869


"We're here, Let's get drunk!!" - Hundreds of Thousands of American College Students Studying Abroad, 2009



I work in a study abroad office. Each year I am partially responsible for sending over 2,000 students to all parts of the world to study for various lengths of time. Even though it was written 130 years ago, this quote still perfectly describes the consequences of one's first time out of their home country. Several years ago, I worked for a company that sent high school students abroad on package tours that averaged about a week in length. The first quote has always stuck with me and I hope it will with you too. For further information; the University of Virginia has put together this comprehensive guide.

The Innocents Abroad Homepage

Welcome to Mt. Rushmore

Mount Rushmore in 1969







Mount Rushmore in 1989

Mount Rushmore Today

That's right, it doesn't do anything. Since the 1940's, droves of tourists have seen this picture and felt the need to travel to a place they wouldn't go otherwise, South Dakota, to see and photograph this spectacle.

In the summer of 1989, the almost 8 year old me got into a stylish maroon Chrysler Minivan in Libertyville, Illinois for such a purpose; a scripted journey. My family had a lot of activities planned for this vacation, but for me, this was to be the highlight, a dream fulfilled. What would it look like in real life? What souvenirs could I buy there to show off to all my friends? We pulled into the massive parking lot, walked up the steep pathway, and there it was, exactly like the photos, I was full of excitement and wonder.

Then about 4 - 5 seconds went by. I was still looking at it, but didn't care anymore. I had seen it, now what, it doesn't do anything, and looking at a photo of it was an identical experience. I quickly fell into a state of boredom which continued for the next several hours we were there.

From then on, I have been fighting the idea of destination tourism. Whenever I see something I thought was my dream to see, it is quickly followed by hollow disappointment. There are places we all want to see; the Eiffel Tower, The Grand Canyon, The Great Wall of China, we go there, we see them, we take photos, we blog. The experiences getting there are almost always more memorable and exciting. It raises the question Why go there at all? Traveling to non-traditional destinations will be full of the same experiences, and lead to even cooler souvenirs. Maybe we can find some value in the destination, something, anything that is different than expected. In the case of Mount Rushmore, this is impossible.

Mark Twain, Anthony Bourdain, P.J. O'Rourke and many other travel writers throughout history have tackled these subjects. I seek inspiration from them for a greater understanding of travel and the self. This blog will include writing by others and personal experiences to help us all understand the impact of travel on ourselves.