Travel Makes Us Better Readers

I love books. I love my shelves of adventure, mystery, horror, true crime, travel ideas, biographies, and poetry. I love my Kindle, with a book at my fingertips anywhere in the world.

And what I've noticed lately is that traveling makes me a better reader.

I have long been of the opinion that reading makes me a better traveler. Before I go somewhere new, I love to read not only travel guides but also fiction set in the place I'm headed. I read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society before my week in the Channel Islands. I read Paris in Love before my first trip to Paris (and before my second!). I reread Duma Key almost every time I head to Florida.

When my son was little, we used to take long road trips to explore state and national parks around the country. Back then, not as many books were available in audio versions, so I'd even record myself reading books on CD so we could "read" together on a long road trip. 

One of my favorite memories is listening to Cliff-Hanger, which was set in Mesa Verde National Park. I'd spent countless evenings after he'd gone to sleep reading a chapter at a time, sometimes re-recording the entire chapter due to slip in my speech. All four of us in the van got lost in the book, often forgetting that it was me bringing the written word to life.

Reading my Kindle after a picnic on the shores of Lake Annecy.

But I also love reading generally, with no purpose in mind other than enjoyment. And recently, I've updated my opinion:

Not only does reading make me a better traveler, but traveling makes me a better reader.

A few months ago, I decided I needed to break out of my John Grisham and Stephen King back-and-forth. So I've been reading the Alex Cross books by James Patterson in order. In a recent book, Alex Cross traveled to London, Paris, and New York -- all places with which I'm intimately familiar. As I was reading,  I could envision exactly where the characters were and what they were seeing. In one of the passages, I even thought something like, "well that's not realistic: he couldn't walk between those two places that quickly!" But it makes for great fiction!

So yes: All those travel experiences allow me to better understand the geographical context, maybe remember some of the pertinent history, or simply to envision the scene the author might have intended.

When I read about having tea and baklava in Istanbul, I know what that looks like.

Baklava in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.

When I listen to a narrator describe the struggles of hiking through the snowy mountains near Chamonix, I understand the layers and the depth.

As Jenn says, "As far as the eye can see."
(Thanks for sharing your picture from Chamonix!!)

When I hear about a character island hopping off the coast of Belize, I return to my own boat rides between Carrie Bow, Southwater, and Glover's Reef ... and I can remember hiking through the mangrove forests.

In the mangroves of Belize, circa 1991.

Sure, gifted authors can create the scene for you, using words and phrases that evoke certain feelings and images. And the age of the social media sometimes makes us feel as though we've been everywhere because we've seen so. many. reels. (So so so many.)

But nothing takes the place of actually exploring in real life, visiting a place with a guide who provides context or on your own for an unbiased glimpse. Nothing beats truly assimilating the sights, sounds, and smells of a place into your own body and soul, into the very essence of who you are.

And all those experiences you'll collect from all the places you will ever travel? Those will make you a better reader. 

So yes: Books can be even better than before. And for an avid reader like me, that's pretty damn good!

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