Been there, read that
Posted on 26 May 2009 by Natalie
Traveling allows more time to read. It’s a simple fact. Travel is a reason to love books.
Whether it’s on an 8 hour flight or a few days at the beach. Traveling will even inspire a non-avid reader to flip through pages endlessly.
Books are great travel companions. They are lightweight. If you get tired of what they are saying you can simply close it. If you loose a book along the way, it could be upsetting if you were at a suspenseful place in the book. Overall books are inexpensive and easily replaceable.
As you complete a book along your travels you may give the book away, bring it home for your personal book collection or donate it to a local library.
If you want a new book along your journey, there are countless options beyond the airport bookstore.
Get new books as you travel
- A used book store
- A garage sale
- Book exchange shelves at hostels
- Ask the person sitting next to you on the train, bus or plane if they have finished reading their book, you could even offer to buy it from them.
- An Amazon Kindle
or other electronic book reader – this will allow you to bring an entire library (100’s of books) along your travels. Easily the the best item in my backpack. I would recommend a Kindle
As you travel and explore the new places, it is also good to explore new elements of reading.
Mix reading and Traveling
- Read a fictional novel set in the area of the world in which you will travel to in the future.
- Read a new form of literature – ex. Always reading the classics? Try a modern tale by an unfamiliar author.
- Read a text book – learn a new language
- Read the local newspaper – attend a local activity or sporting event
- Go for a reading walk (works well in urban environments) – read billboards, traffic signs, flyers and other forms of media that have infiltrated the culture.
- Be creative! Experiment with new forms of travel that play well with literature.
Reading and traveling can be fascinating. Mixing the two together can often lead to even more enjoyable experiences and adventures. Some individuals have began to combine Book Crossing in their travel adventures. This will allow you to leave books behind at a cafe, museum or other fun location for someone else to discover and read. You will be able to follow the books online and track who else reads them and where the books travel.
Even if you are currently unable to travel, a book can take you there. Don’t let anything hold you back. You too can say, ‘been there, read that’.
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Tags | urban exploration
Next long trip I might try a Kindle but I think about losing it, like I did my iPod. The less electronics, the better. You don’t have to think about losing it, breaking it, charging it, or finding batteries for it.
Books get heavy after a while so bookcrossing and any other way to donate trade books while traveling is great.
A Kindle is definitely worth a try! You will be hooked for life. My husband and I fight over ours all the time! Now we want two.