A dominant impulse on encountering beauty is the desire to hold on to it: to possess it and give it weight in our lives There is an urge to say, ‘I was here, I saw this and it mattered to me.’
-Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel (2002, p. 2018)
Dear Matterhorn Community,
This summer, I’m changing it up a bit to offer a Summer Travel series about some of my experiences in travel, hopefully with some ideas about culture and the arts to go along with it. We’ve also just heard from Tom Fish, writer of Not That You Asked (recently featured by Substack!), on the podcast about this topic. Here it is in case you missed it:
Travel is something that me and my family prioritize when considering how to spend our time and precious funds. Part of our travel is now circumstance, since my British husband and I have made our lives abroad. Our family and friends are spread out…from America to Europe to Hong Kong and even New Zealand. So a lot of our travel is simply to visit people. But even in these experiences, it’s travel. Maybe we get deliciously lost a little bit less but we also get to travel through the eyes of a local, which is another kind of gift.
I’ve lived in seven countries, and I find that now when I go somewhere even for a weekend, I try to balance seeing the sights/sites and living like a local (as much as is possible without really understanding it!). And sometimes my best traveling is right down the street. You can discover new places all around you.
Some people travel through documentary and books as well. It’s a lot cheaper and easier on the jet lag! Travel can also be a massive pain. I’ve had several bad experiences, but my memories linger on the beauty of new landscapes, cultural discoveries, and all the people I meet along the way.
What about you? Why do you travel — if you do? What do you discover about the world or yourself in the process? How do you document it? Anecdotes, lists, links…all fair play.
I am always fascinated by people who travel and the idea of living in other countries, so I look forward to your series, Kate! I also enjoy watching documentaries about travel, TV shows set in other countries, and reading books about travelling. And yet...I am not a traveller myself! Friends and family often joke about how me and my husband like to stay close to home, but we do love to explore local environments and currently have a 'fun list' on our phones where we note down places we would like to visit when we have time off together! I do think that over the next few years, as our youngest child moves on to University, we will venture a bit further, as there are lots of places we would be interested in visiting. In the meantime, I shall enjoy 'travelling' along with your newsletter :)
I’ve been living abroad and traveling for the good part of a year.
I wanted to travel to see things, experience new cultures, and meet new people.
I’ve found that as I travel, I tend to meet other expats like myself as I’ve run into some language barrier.
This might be a hot take but I think that everyone needs to travel less. We’ve fetishized traveling to new places to a point that it’s annoying.
I’m arguing against travel because it’s become something of “me me me” for example, if you don’t have photos to share, we’re you ever rally there?
Also the climate impacts are horrible, not to mention the fact that we’re forming over our money to airline companies who treat us like cattle.
Idk, I’m saying this from a point of privilege because I’ve gotten to travel more than many do in their whole lives b it I’m really starting to think people should travel less
I've been very very lucky to have travelled so much, both as a child and as an adult. My parents are keen explorers and helped to make sure my brother and I had a lot of exposure to culture and sights when growing up. I'm grateful for that. My wife is also an avid traveller, more so than me I'd say. (I've benefitted, I suppose, from moving to live abroad in my mid-twenties, something that I suspect I'd be more cautious of now, but at the time was essentially a snap-decision at the conclusion of my PhD.)
Strangely, I both love and dislike travel. I love the act of travel, being immersed in it, the wonder at new places, sights, sounds, vistas, nature etc. But I loathe the organisation, the act of booking, the cost, the payment, the fretting over little things and the what-ifs, some aspect of adulthood bringing in anxiety that was never there when I was younger.
Again, thankfully my wife has NONE of that, so she makes sure we push ahead with choices, reassures me that I won't regret the spending etc.
Travel is also somehow a means to reassess perspective on your life. Everything can be so different when travelling that sometimes I'll return home and re-appreciate various things. That's as much necessary for me as the actual act of travelling and experiencing the elsewhere.
As others have noted, I'm more and more aware now of the climate impact of long-distant travelling and am mindful of that. We've sought more local adventures, which is lovely, but our families being spread across the world necessitates either a giant reshuffle in where we live or an acceptance of costs to be together one a year or so.
OK, long ramble. I better get back to some work ;)
Like Kate, I have also not travelled much. But, the places I have been to, have left me with some special memories. I also like to explore nearby, the north of England holds such beauty! I’m looking forward to your new series, though. Very well-timed for summer :)
You sum up my thoughts on travel: the benefits, delights, hassle...the ability to explore using documentaries and books without even leaving your armchair. I wrote a piece on travel last year called "What we did on our holidays" in which I talked about what I look for in a holiday, and why I think it's important to go to the places that interest you. I write scribbly notes whilst travelling and I've found them extremely useful later for practical and creative reasons. I haven't travelled outside the UK for years, but when I did I loved speaking other languages even though I am not fluent in any but English.
You must have had some very enriching experiences living in 7 countries - even a bit of travelling is good for you, so actually living in different countries must enhance your perception of things so much.
I am always fascinated by people who travel and the idea of living in other countries, so I look forward to your series, Kate! I also enjoy watching documentaries about travel, TV shows set in other countries, and reading books about travelling. And yet...I am not a traveller myself! Friends and family often joke about how me and my husband like to stay close to home, but we do love to explore local environments and currently have a 'fun list' on our phones where we note down places we would like to visit when we have time off together! I do think that over the next few years, as our youngest child moves on to University, we will venture a bit further, as there are lots of places we would be interested in visiting. In the meantime, I shall enjoy 'travelling' along with your newsletter :)
I’ve been living abroad and traveling for the good part of a year.
I wanted to travel to see things, experience new cultures, and meet new people.
I’ve found that as I travel, I tend to meet other expats like myself as I’ve run into some language barrier.
This might be a hot take but I think that everyone needs to travel less. We’ve fetishized traveling to new places to a point that it’s annoying.
I’m arguing against travel because it’s become something of “me me me” for example, if you don’t have photos to share, we’re you ever rally there?
Also the climate impacts are horrible, not to mention the fact that we’re forming over our money to airline companies who treat us like cattle.
Idk, I’m saying this from a point of privilege because I’ve gotten to travel more than many do in their whole lives b it I’m really starting to think people should travel less
Where to begin!
I've been very very lucky to have travelled so much, both as a child and as an adult. My parents are keen explorers and helped to make sure my brother and I had a lot of exposure to culture and sights when growing up. I'm grateful for that. My wife is also an avid traveller, more so than me I'd say. (I've benefitted, I suppose, from moving to live abroad in my mid-twenties, something that I suspect I'd be more cautious of now, but at the time was essentially a snap-decision at the conclusion of my PhD.)
Strangely, I both love and dislike travel. I love the act of travel, being immersed in it, the wonder at new places, sights, sounds, vistas, nature etc. But I loathe the organisation, the act of booking, the cost, the payment, the fretting over little things and the what-ifs, some aspect of adulthood bringing in anxiety that was never there when I was younger.
Again, thankfully my wife has NONE of that, so she makes sure we push ahead with choices, reassures me that I won't regret the spending etc.
Travel is also somehow a means to reassess perspective on your life. Everything can be so different when travelling that sometimes I'll return home and re-appreciate various things. That's as much necessary for me as the actual act of travelling and experiencing the elsewhere.
As others have noted, I'm more and more aware now of the climate impact of long-distant travelling and am mindful of that. We've sought more local adventures, which is lovely, but our families being spread across the world necessitates either a giant reshuffle in where we live or an acceptance of costs to be together one a year or so.
OK, long ramble. I better get back to some work ;)
Like Kate, I have also not travelled much. But, the places I have been to, have left me with some special memories. I also like to explore nearby, the north of England holds such beauty! I’m looking forward to your new series, though. Very well-timed for summer :)
You sum up my thoughts on travel: the benefits, delights, hassle...the ability to explore using documentaries and books without even leaving your armchair. I wrote a piece on travel last year called "What we did on our holidays" in which I talked about what I look for in a holiday, and why I think it's important to go to the places that interest you. I write scribbly notes whilst travelling and I've found them extremely useful later for practical and creative reasons. I haven't travelled outside the UK for years, but when I did I loved speaking other languages even though I am not fluent in any but English.
You must have had some very enriching experiences living in 7 countries - even a bit of travelling is good for you, so actually living in different countries must enhance your perception of things so much.