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Holy moly, I'm leaving for France and Ireland in less than a week! It's my second time in both places, and I am seriously pumped. And when I'm pumped, I go on library binges. It got me thinking about mental preparations for travel.
The online traveller community loves to argue about certain facts. Yep, if you use a roller bag, take an organized tour, or do too much research pre-trip, you might not be a traveller. You might be *gasp*: a tourist (note: that is often regarded as a negative word).
So, I've decided to "come out": I research too much. Yes, dear readers, I am addicted to guidebooks. Not to mention fiction firmly set in a place, history, language books. . . and everything else I can get my hands on.
Many of the anti-research arguments are logical. For example, they say: if everything is overplanned and micromanaged, you will never really be able to see and experience. Fair enough. Research and make your lists (okay, that's me) as much as you want. . . but don't forget to keep your eyes - and your schedule - open.
Another vague argument? That researching the culture removes you from the culture. Somehow. Okay, I admit: I can read as much about, say, the French as I want - and I won't really know the culture. However, this argument forgets something important. I'm not only travelling for the present, but also the past. Ruins without explanation aren't that interesting - if you know the story behind the stones? Magic.
Perhaps it's the fact that I'm a writer myself that makes me crave stories, or maybe it's something else entirely. One of my favourite ways to really "feel" a place is to read historical fiction set there. . . necessarily followed by a non-fiction about the same time period. You know, just in case.
What are your favourite ways to prepare for a trip?
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