Reading and Travel

by Skald

I often find that reading and travel are an ideal combination. Specifically, I find that reading helps me shift to a more "intentional" mindset. Reading encourages me to examine my inner and outer travels and mine them for significance.

For example, when travelling in India the first time I read many books about India. Some prefer to read up on a country BEFORE travelling there... but I find its more powerful to do this WHILE travelling.

In India I read India: A Million Mutinies Now, No Full Stops In India, Midnight's Children, The Inscrutable Americans, Karma Cola, and several other books on the country. I found the experience of reading these books while in-country to be very thought-provoking. I didnt have to use guesswork... I could easily imagine the scenes the author's described.

I also gained deeper insights into India and its culture. I experienced my travels much differently as a result. I observed and thought about the Indian religions and social system. I considered its history. I compared these to my American experiences and my American prejudices.

I highly recommend this approach. Next trip, hold off on reading about the country until you get there.... then read like crazy.

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