Journal 10

What I will take on my travel. Hmmmm. Well since I am backpacking this will be a very easy journal. I think the focus should be sure to make sure is included. I will have to make sure that enough money is portioned out for each day so that I am able to buy food, souvenirs, I will be traveling by train or bus so I will need money for tickets, money for passes so I am able to see different sites around the country.  I will need to make arrangements ahead of time so that I am able to ship my items home which I bought while over in Italy.

Looking into my backpack, I will need to include toiletries, toothbrush, toothpaste, facewash, soap, bodywash, deodorant. A t least one weeks-worth of underwear and socks – clothes will be hard to account for, I will have to be sure to research if different hostiles in areas I will be traveling to will have a washer and drier which I am able to use. This will cut down on the room taken up in my pack by clothes I will not need.

I will include a pocket book travel guide. My phone – with international access, and a charger – possibly download a translation application on it.

The rest of what I will bring will have to fall into the category of planning. Although it is my goal to keep the planning to a minimum – that minimum being, doing enough to be able to get and keep my bearings. I do not want to plan out every little detail of my trip out.

Journal 9

I love to travel. I love everything about it. If I had to tell of my favorite part of traveling it would have to be the anticipation of, and the traveling too – I’m not sure why, I have just always been like that. Ever since I was little, going on trips to the Outer Banks with my family, my favorite part of the trip was the drive down. I loved packing the car and getting ready to go, and especially the feeling I got as we passed through different states and seeing familiar landmarks – which told me that we were getting close. Taking a look at my future trip to Italy, I feel that the anticipation and planning will be a very big part of it - the biggest reason being that I will only have my backpack with me. No hotel reservations, no check in times, just me and the road. Having said that I feel that a style of writing which we have discussed, which fits perfectly is Mark Twains, Roughing It. The other would be the Cloud Forrest because Matthesein goes about describing everything he sees. Connection, because Italy will be entirely new to me, and I think that will be a large part of my writing, will be about sites which I see. This may be a problem though, considering that I have no actually been there before.

Twain has a very comical outlook about his travel out west with his brother. When reading his work, I actually got the impression that nothing was taken seriously by him. Twain could be considered a novice when looking at this reading, considering it was his first – which appeared to be told as though he was writing a story about his travels, not necessarily a journal.

Matthesien is very descriptive about his writings. I felt as though I was reading an account for everything that was happening – which is my opinion of what a travel log is intended to be. Matthiesen seems to take a much more serious tone about his writing than what Twain does because let’s face it, Twain is very lax.

Similarly, both write about what happens in their travels, Twain with a narrative account, Mattheisen with a description of each account. Both styles do a get job of personifying the journeys taken by each travel, which in turn gives the reader the sense of being in the travels with the writers.

Journal 8

Food! Well, I think it is safe to say that there is not a more likeable topic for me than this one! I should probably get the topic of Dalrymple out of the way before I begin talking about my own appetite so that I do not forget! When I began reading Dalrymple’s Xandu, I had the impression that Dalrymple needed a double quarter pounder or a Chicago deep dish or something! What was with all of the food references? Was I mistaken or was he even personifying a man’s beard with a salt and pepper like appearance?

Looking at my own indulgences now, I first want to reference my competition back in October. My twelve week diet was encompassed with nothing more than oats, egg whites, cooked spinach, broccoli, green beans, 6 ounces of steak every 3 days, chicken, canned tuna, brown rice and yams. Doesn’t sound too bad? Imagine eating nothing but that for three months. I dieted from the beginning of July until the beginning of October. Having said that, the night my show was over was like rediscovering food, and to say the least I haven’t taken food for granted since! Now, I’m Italian, what a better place for a young food crazed half Dago to go than to the country of his origin? I’m talking spaghetti and meatballs, fresh mozzarella, chicken parmesan, fresh gelato, carbonara, linguini, lasagna, Italian wedding soup, fresh baked breads, pizza marinara, pizza romana, pizza pugliese, pizza siciliana, biscotti, tiramisu, semifreddo, pizzelle, crostada. Those are some of the foods in which I would indulge myself in! I would not limit myself, but I think it is safe to say that I would allow some extra money in my budget for food.

Now I do not want to come off as a glutton. Ok, maybe I am, but not in a sinful way. As an amateur natural bodybuilder it’s in my nature to eat a lot, not to mention the fact that I’m Italian, let’s face it, we Italians, we eat, and we go to church, and we drink wine. Going to Italy would be an experience in every way of the word. Anytime I go somewhere, I look for a restaurant unique to that area. The way which I see it is, why am I going to go somewhere new and eat the same old stuff? Try something new and enjoy it.

Journal 7

                In this week’s journal we are asked to compare the works of three authors which we read about in class. The catch, while all three authors are considered to be in the genre of travel writing, their styles within the genre are vastly different in comparison to one another and to the norm.

                Matthiessen’s, the Cloud Forest, is written via journal entry. Obviously when recording in a journal entry, daily recordings of the journal are going to be made. Matthiessen is very particular and detailed in terms of describing to the reader what he sees, experiences, hears, etc. This is a very effective way of personifying the experience so that the reader can actually bring the experience to life; however, this can be hit or miss, given that the writer is good at describing the events to the reader, which seems to be the case throughout Matthiessen’s works.

                Looking at Dalrymple, I was a bit stumped; the only thing I could take from his work was his tendency to compare his experiences to those which have already occurred. He closely looked at the journeys of Marco Polo, and wrote of the comparison between his trip and that of Polo’s. I like to think of Dalyrymple as a historian of sorts, bridging the gap between past and future with a comparative writing linking the past to his present events.

                Cahill seemed to take a serious yet humorous look about things, which reminded me of a sarcastic type of writing style. I felt like I could closely relate to this type of reading because I have a tendency to be sarcastic as well. Therefore, I feel that it is fair to say that this is my favorite style of the three. Giving a more specific example - his main focus in our reading, drugs, and his experiences were primarily about the experiences which occurred while the self-induced high was taking place. Clarifying –I did not feel as closely related to his writings because of the drugs – just because of his sarcasm and lack of seriousness at times, I believe it inspired a lax and laid back personality.

                After reading both works I think that it is apparent that Cahills works are more of my liking, obviously because of my sarcastic yet serious outlook on life – although I feel that he takes the drugs outlook a bit too far.

Journal 6

                Considering that my trip will be back packing throughout the country of Italy, I will be crossing many borders. First there will be the borders of one country to another. Then there will be my transitions throughout the island of Sicily; then onto the boot, and up the long beautiful Italian landscape.

                Let’s face it; physical borders won’t be the only thing which I will be crossing. The largest border which will be crossed is leaving the comforts of home. I will be the first to admit, I have it pretty good here is the States. I have a roof over my head, food readily accessible for either purchase or cooking , money when I need it, friends and family, and I’m immersed in a language in which I am fluent. Life, is, good. Now, just like Russel’s travels from native Dublin, to hostile Bosnia, I am leaving all of those comforts of home here in the states, in pursuit of a journey in which I will be my only dependent. Because let’s face it, I don’t speak Italian, If I get into trouble, I better hope that my little Italian speaking dictionary can save my ass, or that I’ll be fortunate enough to find someone who speaks Italian. Be that as it may, my trip will be considerably less inimical than Russel’s trip to Bosnia. How bad can Italy be?

Things to consider though – Money to eat, because I won’t be have a stove in my backpack, also to purchase a room in a hostile along my travels, and also for train tickets, and lastly so that I am able to really experience Italy, and see the sites! Another factor for consideration, clothing – how am I to pack enough clothing for one week in on book bag. Being one to care about what others think, I truly have a lot of insight as to my appearance and my, let me be subtle, smell. It is also my uneducated opinion that Italians may not be too fond of a stranger who is traveling along (possibly another border? Putting it nicely but I’ve come across some pretty foul smelling people in public in the US) smelling of dirty clothes and body odor – for this reason I must work out a way to find either a way to wash my clothes or bring enough toiletries and fresh clothing along with me.

Journal 5

When we think of the main focus of our class, we ultimately think, travel. With travel comes certain many subjects, however one main focus which we will be looking at is the crossing of borders. If it’s one thing you must do when traveling it is the crossing of borders. Whether you are traveling from one town to the next, a separate state, or to another country, you cross an imaginary line which separates different areas from each other. Now to open, it is important to remember that borders are not strictly defined as the separation of one town to another, from one state to the next or even separate countries. Borders can also be defined as a language barrier, religious sections of countries, in some unfortunate cases, blacks from whites. Borders can be any type of classification separating one area from the next, and when traveling one must cross those borders in order to complete their travels.

I would like to open the next subject of boarders with a question. What good is travel writing, if you cannot express, record, share, or bitch of your travels? Branching from this question, it is imperative that any writer aspiring to tell of their travels find a means of dictation for their travels. Throughout our course we have learned of different means of recording, such as a diary or journal. Travel writers are not limited to only these Stone Age methods of recording, however. Thanks to the luxury of technology, travel writers are now able to voice record travels, use a laptop to type, or even record footage or take pictures to go along with their writings, giving the reader a more firsthand account of their journeys.

Looking at some specific works, I would like to mention Kapuscinski and his writing Travels with Herodotus. Throughout this writing Kapuscinski tells of his experiences in different cultures outside of his own nation. One thing which must be understood is that when you travel, especially in the case of Kapuscinski who came from a communist controlled country, you may feel like an outsider when indulging in  cultures of other nations; which is exactly what Kapuscinski felt while traveling to Italy, India and Greece.

In the Amazonian Packet we read of Mary Russels travels from native Dublin to her experiences in hostile Bosnia, an area which did not cater to the freedoms and respects of women as Dublin did. Having said that, I feel that the major border crossing which Russel had to cross was the gender border, as she traveled to an area where she had to fear for her safety and even her life, simply because she is a women.

Journal 4

                There are many steps to take in order to ensure that I will be totally prepared for my trip! The main idea of my trip is backpacking – so, that means no plane tickets. I would limit my traveling to walking, taxis, buses, trains, and obviously a boat to take me from Sicily to Italy. The point of my travel log is to be spontaneous – meaning that I do not want to plan anything ahead of time. Train, boat, and bus tickets will all be purchased at the depot, harbor, or station. I will however plan the major sights which I want to see ahead of time.

                A big thing which I will do is familiarize myself with my journey via maps and travel guides. Planning my route to ensure that I will know where I am going, and also avoiding certain areas for my own safety. I think it will also be important to learn of the different cultures which I will be traveling through as I pass through Italy so that I do not do anything to offend anyone as I am passing through each region – whether that is through my clothing, actions, or whatever else may offend people from region to region.

                In preparation for my trip, I will be sure to set aside more than enough money to survive off of while experiencing my excursion. I will figure, three to four meals a day, about $15 per meal for two weeks of traveling. I will also research hostels, not Marriot hotels, and the average cost of them per night. I will also do the same for my transportation. Of course I will plan on doing fun things in Italy, such as touring different sites, hiking, and I will definitely have to establish a budget so that I can enjoy these thrills thoroughly. Lastly I will have to set aside a decent amount of money for different mementoes which I can purchase so that I can remember my trip.

                Lastly will be my clothing. I will have to research what the usual weather conditions will be like for the time of year which I will be traveling. I will also have to make it a point to find a place to wash my clothes. Since I am back packing, I won’t be able to carry a large suitcase with me during my travels, so I won’t have much room for a lot of clothing.

Travels with Twain

It took me some time but I think I’ve decided. I would like to travel with Twain. My reasoning – through reading his works I’ve gotten the impression that he is a funny guy. Having said that I would also like to add; that this man would not be in charge of my trip. No offense to Twain, but handing him the reigns of my trip is like giving a two year old a gram cracker and telling them not to eat it (hope you liked that one Ron) – It’s just hard to trust him. Might I propose a split? A trip which is to be planned in unison, or a compromise of sorts? Let’s face it, the reasoning behind bringing Twain is not for the obvious reasons, but he is a funny guy, and a long trip will undoubtedly have down time, especially when traveling from place to place by whatever means of transportation. So I guess I must admit that my real reason for bringing Twain would not be for his skills in travel, but for his skills in making others laugh – because in all honestly, who doesn’t like to laugh?

Putting humor aside – I’d like to tackle the next reason, experience. Now, I do not want it to seem as though I am contradicting myself from the first paragraph. When I say experience, I do not mean that I would travel with Twain because he knows what he is doing. I believe that the real fun in travel writing is rolling with the unexpected! That’s where the real fun is! I would want Twains experience because of what seems to be a recurring them in my writing thus far, and that is entertainment. As mentioned previously, who doesn’t like to laugh? Well let me take a moment and say that when someone is trying to crack jokes when you are not in the mood, well it’s annoying – pretty blunt, but why sugar coat it? For those instances when Twain is just annoying the living shit out of me, I would try to transition into conversation of his past travels, which also be a good way to maybe learn a thing or two. Hey, I know I said the fun in travel writing is rolling with the unexpected, but who doesn’t like a little advice every now and then? All and all, I think Twain would be a great travel companion, for other reasons than simply the ones I listed! 

Journal 2

                As I sit at a red light just south of Canton, I am faced with a dilemma – I could turn right, head south on 77. I have a full tank of gas, a sufficient amount on my bank card and little debt on my credit card. I could be to sunny southern Florida in 18 hours, traffic contingent. Then there is the other option. I head North on I-77, back to canton, where I remain in the cold, the snow, and hidden from sunlight. This is not like me, usually I love the snow, being outside, I love anything adventurous; however, after the tearing of my ACL two years ago, I find myself limiting my adrenaline indulgences.

                Obviously I had chosen to turn left, but what if I hadn’t? What if I had chosen to go south? I found myself daydreaming about my trip south as I made the trek through the snow back to Walsh.  Driving to the sunshine state would’ve obviously been my first choice, what fun is flying? Sure flying is faster, but I still need my little adrenaline fixes here and there. The thrill of tearing down the interstate, crossing state boarders, ripping through the Carolina’s and slowly feeling the weather change. That’s what it’s really about, the climate change, the smell of the air, I love the salty air! I slowly find myself speeding up, so I set my cruise, the speed limit is 70, but heck I need that fix, let’s go 80.

                I can slowly feel the temperature begin to rise, it’s no longer 30 degrees, and it feels like it’s about 60 as I cross the South Carolina border. That’s when I decide - the windows go down, and the country music gets turned up. I have my arm out the window letting it fly in the wind, passing cars as I drive down the left lane. It feels as if I blink and I passing through Georgia already! This is when the drive really starts to drag. I find myself thinking about Mark Twain as he discusses another mode of transportation. What if I had flown? Yeah less adventurous I know, but I could already be sitting on the beach! Not to mention the view! The view would have been incredible from 20,000 feet in the air, and it was such a clear day!

                Suddenly I’m awoken from my day dream as I pull up to a red light just in front of Walsh. Had I really just let my subconscious drive the half hour back to Walsh? I feel my stomach in knots, wishing I could have truly been driving into Florida, windows down, country music turned up, and adrenaline flowing! 

Journal 1

                I believe the importance of Gaudium et Spes in regards to travel writing, would have to be the idea of money and the large difference of such across the world. Obviously to travel requires money, and let us face it, there are some countries, and those within it whom do not have the money needed to travel to places which they desire. There was an idea which Rick Steves said in his video which really seemed fitting to me. It was the idea that citizens of our countries spend more money on diet products in one day, than which some countries spend in one week on food for one person. When you think of this, then obviously citizens of our country are going to have more money to invest in let us say a trip to Europe. Money is simply not a concern for the people of our country, whether we have the money or not, access to credit cards, and excess amounts of debt allow us to live well beyond our means, and to satisfy even the most exotic endeavors. However, considering how blessed those of us are who are able to partake in such endeavors, I feel it is their responsibility to write about their experience while traveling, hence the phrase, travel writing. Travel writing gives the rest of us, who are unable to afford such travels the chance to see what else is out there, and depending on the author’s descriptive writing abilities, the chance for readers to have a second hand experience about the travels which they are unable to partake in.

Reading about what you are able to do based on income gives the notion that people are not only separated by economic class, but also by who they are as people. This notion can branch off a million ways, but most importantly we must understand that when looking at this idea from a religious aspect we must understanding that we are bound by moral conscious to help those less fortunate than us. The idea must be identified and remembered that economic class does not justify the type of person that you are. In addition to that we must also remember that travel writing is not only limited to the idea that you about trips that you go on, but also experiences, hardships, jobs, and other stories about people’s lives would also classify. Essentially we must always remember that, we all have a story to tell.