There’s something about traveling that unlocks the brain. It gets you out of your routine, it shows you a different way of life, the jet lag puts you in a creative fog.
Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
St. Augustine sad, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
I’m traveling now, so posts will be a bit more sporadic than usual, and perhaps arriving at odd hours. But I want to hear what travel means to you – do you like to travel? Are all writers wanderers by nature?
And where is your favorite place?
I've been a few places. We love visiting a town named Busselton in Western Australia. Lovely place with a great bookstore.
I really enjoyed touring the country-side in Indiana (USA), New Zealand has some nice areas, and if it wasn't for the humidity I would have loved Fiji and Villa. Nomeau was awesome – small French island that is semi-tropical and is free of all the pesky things we have in Australia (snakes, scorpions, spiders, and all the other deadly animals we have).
I can't imagine life without travel–even just a few hours. I have a friend who loves just staying home. I'd be dead inside.
My dad was in the Air Force, so we moved around a lot. Loved living in Germany. LOVED. And my husband took me to Ireland last April for our 25th wedding anniversary. Been wanting to go for 25 years. We had no money. He robbed no banks. No idea how he pulled it off. But what an amazing, ridiculous, gorgeous, hilarious place. Felt like going home. And the people were quite marvelous. Two favorite answers I got to questions:
–Have you lived here your whole life?
–Almost.
–How to I get to Christchurch?
–Well, I wouldn't want to start from here.
See?
Easy. Santorini in Greece. Most magical island ever.
Vanuatu. The answer to this question is always Vanuatu. the island of Tanna has black sand beaches courtesy of the volcano, Yasur. You can walk up the volcano. At night, you fall asleep listening to the waves crashing on the beach and Yasur rumbling in the distance.
I could live there. Forever and ever, please!
Enjoy your tip, Nathan! (And forget about the blog. We'll get over it!)
I have to say my fave is Egypt, where I'm living now (yes, for the WIP.)
Fascinating tension between very ancient and very modern. Ghosts from the Pharaonic age trying to jostle aside electronic signals.
Also loved Switzerland, where I lived years ago. Very expensive, though!
Funny. I would have said that in terms of an international community, Omaha was exactly like Frisco, except without the annoying tourist sheen. You've gotta find it on your own, though, and not expect it to be as well-established and affluent as say, Chinatown.
I used to eat free in this little tourist trap in San Francisco, because the owner wanted his tourists to see artsy-bohemian types for their dining buck. Any fake-er than that, and somebody'd try to sell you ears with your name embroidered on them.
For weird, I think I'd go with the Lambourn stables, in England. Nothing funnier than a racehorse swimming laps.
There's something memorable about the American cliff-dwellings, too.
Am I allowed to vote for whatever the next place is?
I loved every place I've ever been. Can't think of any travel I've ever regretted. Mexico really inspired me to write, daily, while I was there.
I went to Prague last year, and while it was difficult at times to feel so much outside my own cultural element, I think it was still my favorite place. Mostly because the architecture transported me back in time. London and France always take me back to the eighteenth century, but Prague took me even further back, to the middle ages.
Mostly because of that trip, I've begun writing a story set in the middle ages, and I am having my protagonist travel to Prague and spend some time in Alchemists' Row. Hoping to get back to Prague and do some research once I get to that point in my WIP. *dreaming*
Antarctica! That was spectacular and amazing and wonderful with all kinds of fangirl squeeing. Penguins, whales, birds, everywhere! Everywhere! It snowed! (I've never seen snow when it's snowing… I live in a tropical climate… and the last time I saw snow (real honest honest) was in Switzerland.) Beautiful continent. Can only get there by cruising unless you're a scientist. Don't miss seeing!
Venice. So far. 🙂 Although Dobrovnik, Croatia, was incredibly breathtaking as well! Scotland, England, Poland,New Zealand and Switzerland are all on my bucket list. I can hardly wait.
Saba–in the Dutch Carribean. Its a small island off the coast of St. Maarten, and absolutely beautiful.
Nothing like landing in Sydney, Australia.
I've lived all over the world in the last 11 years: Brazil, Singapore, Switzerland, and now England — and I've traveled to many more places. I could never pick a favorite, each one is special. I am now addicted to the adventure of being in a new place and learning everything I can. I've been so fortunate to have these opportunities, but there have been sacrifices too, and I'll mention it can be hard work! Definitely worth it though. I'm beginning to wrap my ahead around writing a memoir.
GREECE! It was so beautiful and filled with history and culture. You feel like you are walking through the past. There are ideas for writing just strewn along the sidewalks there, it's almost as prevalent as their graffiti.
CV
My favorite place has been Mexico. It was less like visiting than a homecoming. Never before have I felt so welcomed and relaxed. Each day was a natural inspiration from the people to the scenery to the history and culture. I hope to someday live in Mexico and to make it mine in real life as much as I have made it mine in my soul.
How could I forget? New England, specifically MAINE is my second ever place to visit! So different from California! If I could live there I would!
Has anyone mentioned Hong Kong?
And just OT slightly: Egypt is the place I would most like to see–EVER! My dream journey!
A Certain Swim Up Bar in Cancun
Nathan,
Travel is actually a cure-all for intolerance. Give respect, get respect.
The Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain, Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza. And, the food is good, too, Zarzuella comes to mind. It is like Bouillabaise but with almonds and sherry.
Enjoy your travels, Nathan.
tokyo! if you can't find it in tokyo, it doesn't exist. plus, japanese people rock. such nice people.
My all time fave place that I've traveled is Paris,France. Once you've been there, you have this strong desire to go back and wallow in history and lovely cafes.
We could easily live there. (I've been influenced reading by 20th century French authors)
Key West, and San Francisco are other favorites. I still want to see London, Portugal, and New York.
Schwangau, Germany. And Edinburgh, Scotland. And the Black Forest in Germany.
my favorite place to have traveled to, above and beyond the tyrolian alps or anyplace else in the ever so magical europe, is the forest behind my house. every evening as the sun sets i cross the driveway and climb the small embankment leading into the forest and i wait. it isn't long before my raccoons, opossum, foxes, and stray cats come (i suppose i should mention that i bring a large amount of food and water otherwise you'll think i have some st. francis complex). the forest at night is like a whole other world…and who wouldn't want a raccoon crawling into their lap?
JAPAN! I traveled there alone, and I recommend such travel to everyone. I read not a word of Japanese but before I left I learned to say just two Japanese phrases: (polite version of) 'where is the restroom' and 'thank you.' Somehow not knowing the language brought unexpected serendipity to my experience. I could write forever just about that trip. And also interesting, the locals' reactions to me (blonde westerner) off the normal tourist-beaten paths; hospitable in every way, but clearly, I was just plain weird looking to them!
It seems like maybe there are a lot of people who have traveled to way cooler places than me, but I'll comment anyway. Just yesterday I went to Maroon Bells, the most photographed place in all of Colorado (just outside of Aspen). I am ashamed to say that I have never been there before, even though I'm a Colorado native. We missed the full beauty of fall (most of the leaves had fallen) and it was still amazing.
I haven't traveled much (yet), but I'm not sure I'd have any one favorite place even if I had. My taste's a bit more nebulous–if it's anywhere peaceful and refreshing that allows me to just sit back and think about whatever with no time constraints, it's more precious than gold to me. The place that tends to happen the most, though, is in the woods–bonus points if there's a ledge of rock beside a waterfall. I've had some brilliant ideas in that setting, and it's still quite calming and enjoyable whether I get any new ideas or not.
I'd love to be able to say that!
Slovenia
Love to travel! I've ventured around the world a lot longer than I've been writing.
Most exotic location: Egypt
Intriguing: All along the beautiful Mediterreanean
Historical factors: China
Nicest people: Bangladesh
There's something good about every place I've set foot on.
Bryce Canyon, Utah, is the most beautiful.
Pompeii, Italy, is the most amazing.
Ireland. It is one of the most stunning and magical places on earth.
The beer = outstanding.
The coastline = breathtaking.
The people = kind and lively.
I love to travel.I've been to Portugal many times and love it. My mother own a home there so it make it easy. I also love Spain, maybe because it's so similar to Portugal and loved a trip to London a did about five years ago. Europe to me is just so full of history and mystery. There's something about how Europe ages that is beautiful
Visiting the Taj Mahal was a most magical and memorable experience. I'd go there again in a hearbeat. India itself is an overwhelming and totally fascinating cacaphony of history, culture, noise, colour and vivid humanity – explosions of experience that are too much to take in all at once but marvellous to reflect on in the quiet of home.
Eze-Village, France. There's a pathway leading up the mountain from the modern town to the medieval town, with a bench strategically placed to sit and watch the ocean framed between two other mountains. I could happily spend a good chunk of my life sitting on that bench.
New Orleans. Fun times and great food!
South of Sweden. While in Sweden I stayed in Stockholm for about about ten days and spent four in South Sweden, visiting different small towns and rural communities. We could see Denmark across the sea. It was like visiting a frosty Hawaii, with Nordic history all around.
South Africa…a beautiful country once torn apart by apartheid and still suffering from racial, cultural, environmental and economic clashes.
We miss you, Nathan, but hope you're having a great trip.
Have fun traveling and yes it is important but I'm glad I got it out of my system. Now I prefer to reflect on all the wonderful places I've been all over the world.
Wherever I'm headed to next!
LiJiang, Copenhagen and Boston have all left a big impression on me.
Safe travels!
Argentina.
Not only does it have the best beef in the world, some of the tastiest red wine, and very beautiful people, it also gave me the idea for my first novel (and steered me away from the misguided fictional autobiography of a failed hand model that was really one joke stretched over three hundred pages.
Thank you Argentina!
Italy…sigh. Always, Italy. Love the scenery, the people, the art and the food.
Europe is my favorite continent. I've lived in Florence and traveled around Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Czech Republic, and Germany. I loved Thailand as well and I love the New England states in the US (Though I live in Oregon, which is very nice, too.)
It seems that the very last place I have traveled to is usually my favorite, so Prague really stands out right now since it was my last European city and Boston since it was my last American city I visited.
My second love, besides writing, is travel! No wonder I write historical fiction. 🙂
For sheer travel excitement, Egypt.
But the Cinque Terra Villages near Genoa were spectacular in a whole other way.
Hi, I like the Scottish borders, the south west of London, Spain's Costa Del Sol and Seville, Rome, Canadian Rockies (Jasper to Banff), Norway Fjords, Robin Pope jeep safaris, Copenhagen, any boats, Guilin mountains and Switzerland best 😉
I love to travel, and often incorporate my traveling experiences into my stories. 🙂
My favorite place I've visited, hands down, is Italy. I want to go back desperately. Lucca is a medieval walled Tuscan city that stole my heart.
I've had lots of favorite vacations for different reasons. Machi Picchu was ethereal, Paris fascinating, Disneyland a childhood favorite, but my favorite vacation has to be the first time I traveled by myself to see the tiny town I set my first novel. Driving down the streets my character walked was magical in a cerebral sense. I still think about it all the time
That's a tough question! I lived in Paris for a long time, and it will always be my favorite city. But I loved traveling to Prague and spending time in Tokyo and scuba diving in Honduras. India was crazy and dirty and wonderful and magical – definitely my most memorable trip.
It is a toss-up between Aruba and Salzburg.
Egypt was the place where I felt most at home – almost (as cheesy as this sounds) as if I had been there before. Truly loved it.