How Great Travel Writing Inspires Us
There’s a rumour that Mick Jagger once said, “if I wasn’t a rock star, I’d want to be a travel writer.” At sixteen, I made a feeble attempt to become a rock star by singing songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a friend’s garage on the Isle of Man, while the boy I had a hopeless crush on played lead guitar. But telling stories about the world proved to be far more irresistible.
A couple of years ago I read an article in National Geographic Traveller by P. F. Kluge. The piece was part of the magazine’s best 24-hours on earth cover story, which begins in Hawaii with Kluge. In his opening sentence, he writes, “if you dream of islands, dream of how they are at dawn, on the border between night and day, sleep and waking.” I’ve never really thought about visiting Hawaii, but after reading this one line, Hawaii meant something more to me. I was connected to the place inexplicably.
How is it that writers like Kluge make an impact on us? What is it about their words that makes us contemplate booking a plane ticket, packing a suitcase? Inspiring us to make our way to some part of the world we’ve never thought of visiting before? Why does travel writing get under our skin in this way?
Don George, author of Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing explains that: “As human beings, connection is incredibly important to all of us; it’s the thing we need to keep going. And, so, when we vicariously are connected to a place and an experience that has very much gotten inside of a writer and moved him in some way, it enriches us and expands us–which, I think, is why great travel writing has this allure, this influence, this effect. You feel like a bigger richer better human being for having read it, whether it’s an article in a magazine, a blog post, or a book.”
Despite its rich heritage, as a genre, travel writing did not garner critical attention until the 1980s. Early travel texts were historical, existing as studies or to enrich literary studies carried out by authors. The means to recount those observations were limited to ink and paper but were essential and necessary to deepen and expand our human understanding of the world, the oceans, the mountains and continents, while exploring our connection to all of it.
Later these texts began to chronicle journeys, and while it was still a medium of discovery, travel writing was evolving, allowing more readers than ever to experience something far beyond their normal day-to-day without ever setting foot on a boat or plane. This has never been truer than in the digital age. There are now so many ways for us to share travel stories, from glossy magazine pages and self-published articles on blogs to carefully curated ‘candid’ snapshots on Instagram.
But, whatever shape or form travel writing has taken, it’s always been part of a culture that nurtures curiosity and encourages our desire to explore. The places we discover through our preferred medium of travel writing may be thousands of miles away, but a good story allows us to picture ourselves there. By enabling us to connect with those faraway places, essentially, great travelling writing serves as a passport to instant travel.
This is how a few words about sunrise on an island in Hawaii can inspire us and shape the course of our lives. Some part of the text appeals to us. There might be something familiar about it, and we find ourselves in the story and experience oneness with it. Funnily enough, something occurred to me much later about Kluge’s story. My name is actually the Arabic word that describes the final moment between night and day, just before sunrise. The very thing Kluge opens his piece with.
This familiarity is not unlike what we feel when listening to a song that resonates. Some songs are nostalgic and take us on a trip down memory lane. Some tracks make us push for that extra mile, some music inspires us, gives us goosebumps or even brings us to tears. The same way music has the power to move us, a travel story we connect with can transport us from where we are sitting, even if it is momentary.
This is one of the reasons why TourRadar has its own online travel magazine called Days to Come. We believe that great travel writing can lead to the pursuit of life-enriching experiences. The stories we share on Days to Come are just the beginnings of those journeys.
These days, I’m much more mindful of sunrise wherever I might be in the world. Perhaps, one day, I’ll be lucky enough to visit Oahu and bear witness to the spectacle Kluge speaks of, but either way, my life is richer for having read 5 a.m. Hawaii. It is the only article I’ve ever pinned to the corkboard in my home. More than a story, Kluge’s words are an affirmation: “Dawn is when you plan your day, your future, sunset is when you contemplate your past.” For travel junkies and writers aspiring to greatness like me, Kluge is the real rockstar.
Interested in reading more inspiring travel stories? Check out TourRadar’s online travel magazine Days To Come.
