I dated a man once who had two English degrees and the air of a college literature professor (though that was not his occupation). He told me that whenever he traveled, he took along a faded knapsack stuffed with three or four books, at least. He was terrified at the thought of running out of reading material on his trip. He also worried in a hypothetical way about accruing fines on overdue library books should he ever get stranded in the wilderness and be unable to return those books in his knapsack on-time.
Reading and travel have always gone hand-in-hand for me. What better way to pass the time on a car trip or flight than by reading (or listening to) a good book? Reading while traveling abroad can bring both comfort and dissonance. Many years ago I spent three long weeks in Tokyo for work, a place that was both energizing and alienating. While the city’s religious shrines, shopping districts, and quirky cultural elements beckoned, the busy metropolis was challenging to navigate, every meal was a gamble since most restaurant menus weren’t in English and I spoke no Japanese, and locals stared at me unrelentingly wherever I went. It was a relief to return to the hotel each evening and open one of the Harry Potter books I’d brought with me. I could take refuge inside that familiar, magical world and feel that I was with friends.
Years later I traveled to Ireland on vacation. I reveled in exploring the rolling emerald hills, idyllic seaside towns, and medieval castles. The food was familiar, the people (and their accent) charming, the nightly music jams at the local pub lively and fun. Before going to bed each evening, I’d read a chapter or so in the book I’d brought, The Help. I was transported as I read to another time and place—specifically, to the American south in the 1960s. It was strange in that instance to be pulled by the pages back to my home country, during a period in history that I hadn’t experienced but had heard about throughout my life. The book’s world of racial inequality and domestic servitude was an odd contrast to my carefree days in the bucolic Irish countryside.
In these days of electronic entertainment saturation—including seat-back TV screens on most airplanes and instant television and movie streaming on our phones—reading while traveling is perhaps less common-place than it used to be. Nevertheless, those of us who like to get lost in a good book still make sure our bags contain at least one book for the road, if not a couple. E-readers make this easier than ever. I always travel with a book in my carry-on and, for longer trips, another in my checked bag. Heaven forbid I should find myself in a foreign country with nothing on the TV in English but news and no book to occupy me.
On my most recent trip to Scotland, I took two books with me and opened neither. Instead, I bought a book there and spent my pre-bed and early morning reading time delving into its pages, getting lost in its world. I took comfort in knowing that if I finished it on the trip, I had two more books in my suitcase to keep me company until I got home. Indeed, books have always been my best travel companions.
What is your travel reading style?
2 Responses
Holly
I am also an avid reader, and even more so when I travel. I usually bring a couple of books, and also have to buy books during the trip once I’ve finished the ones I brought. For road trips, we always have audio books. I also love seeking out used book shops or quirky independent book stores wherever I go!
gerdybaby
I like to have a “rough guide” or “Lonely Planet” book to see what is on in area I be in. Also, as per Pete McCarthy’s book “McCarthy’s Bar,” I try to get a local newspaper (not good reading if in a non english speaking country-but i can look at the pictures). When in a town I too always look for a secondhand book shop, and carry a “wants list” with me. And maybe a book of short stories (irish or american) or one of them “jounalist columms” type books like “the metal cowboy.” Anybody know similar books?