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.