Dear Colleen,
As the the theory goes, the longer you have to do something, the more you will procrastinate doing it. So, knowing that I had a leisurely 14 days at sea to write about Barcelona, it took me ten of them to finally get around to doing it. Alas, at long last, my letter from Barcelona.
I think its important for every traveler to experience at least one place on their own - totally solo. Barcelona was my solo port. I wasn't sure how to describe my time there at first, since I didn't hit any of the tourist spots that make Barcelona such a rich and exciting place to visit. Instead, I spent my days there wandering the streets, hoping for the mysteries of the city to unlock before my eyes, and for opportunity to spring up organically - I kind of relied on fate.
Fate had my back, so to speak. I did have a good time taking in the city from street-level. I spent a whole day walking through a neighborhood on the far side of the city, trying to enter as many shops as I could. I met an Indian man who invited me to his restaurant down the street, and discovered the difficulties of reading an Indian-language-to-Spanish-language menu. I spent an hour in the only black beauty salon I've seen in Europe, mostly because it felt like home but also because I bonded with the owner, who told me more about life in Spain from a minority standpoint. I also treated myself to a traditional Spanish meal of seafood Paella with a sweet and crisp glass of sangria. Perhaps my favorite encounter, however, was meeting two incredibly sweet men in a nightclub off La Rambla working to improve understanding of the transgender community.
Finally, I continued my super scientific analysis of KFC chicken strips world-wide (what started as a casual craving for fried foods in earlier ports has become a tradition I'm reluctant to abandon) and I have to say it - Spain, you could do better. Chicken quality? Poor. Crispiness? Lacking.
I want to take a minute to talk about the difference between a tourist and a traveler, which has been a big theme throughout the voyage and an idea I've embraced in the majority of ports I've visited. So - what's the difference?
A tourist is a person who focuses more on checking items off a list than seeing the place itself (for example, visiting Pisa only to see the leaning tower; or, a person who sees the Eiffel Tower and thinks, "okay, I've seen Paris now.") A tourist snaps a picture without bothering to really see what's in the viewfinder. A person who takes pictures of people without asking for permission, and who doesn't bother to stop and say a word to the subject of her new photograph. A tourist passes through.
A traveler immerses herself, no matter how long she is there for, in the local culture. She chats with people on the street, in cafés, in bars, maybe even talking to one person for hours. A traveler is engaged, active, curious. A traveler questions her stereotypes and beliefs, and substitutes past prejudices with newly made memories. A traveler leaves each place changed. A tourist is merely a visitor.
To be honest, in Barcelona I would say I was neither. I was there, but I didn't fully connect with the city. However, there are places where I would absolutely say I took in that place with all my heart and soul. Belgium, Poland, France - those are places I saw.
I'm sure there are much better descriptions of what I've just said, because it's a popular notion. I encourage travelers present and future to embrace it.
The more I make plans for my return to WashU, the more excited I am to see you, Colleen! I'm excited that we're taking a class together in the spring (I've said it publicly so it's gotta happen now). Thanks for your update emails - you always keep me in the loop. I can't wait to hear about all the new experiences you've taken on this semester at wustl.
Much luv,
Nicole
As the the theory goes, the longer you have to do something, the more you will procrastinate doing it. So, knowing that I had a leisurely 14 days at sea to write about Barcelona, it took me ten of them to finally get around to doing it. Alas, at long last, my letter from Barcelona.
I think its important for every traveler to experience at least one place on their own - totally solo. Barcelona was my solo port. I wasn't sure how to describe my time there at first, since I didn't hit any of the tourist spots that make Barcelona such a rich and exciting place to visit. Instead, I spent my days there wandering the streets, hoping for the mysteries of the city to unlock before my eyes, and for opportunity to spring up organically - I kind of relied on fate.
Fate had my back, so to speak. I did have a good time taking in the city from street-level. I spent a whole day walking through a neighborhood on the far side of the city, trying to enter as many shops as I could. I met an Indian man who invited me to his restaurant down the street, and discovered the difficulties of reading an Indian-language-to-Spanish-language menu. I spent an hour in the only black beauty salon I've seen in Europe, mostly because it felt like home but also because I bonded with the owner, who told me more about life in Spain from a minority standpoint. I also treated myself to a traditional Spanish meal of seafood Paella with a sweet and crisp glass of sangria. Perhaps my favorite encounter, however, was meeting two incredibly sweet men in a nightclub off La Rambla working to improve understanding of the transgender community.
Finally, I continued my super scientific analysis of KFC chicken strips world-wide (what started as a casual craving for fried foods in earlier ports has become a tradition I'm reluctant to abandon) and I have to say it - Spain, you could do better. Chicken quality? Poor. Crispiness? Lacking.
I want to take a minute to talk about the difference between a tourist and a traveler, which has been a big theme throughout the voyage and an idea I've embraced in the majority of ports I've visited. So - what's the difference?
A tourist is a person who focuses more on checking items off a list than seeing the place itself (for example, visiting Pisa only to see the leaning tower; or, a person who sees the Eiffel Tower and thinks, "okay, I've seen Paris now.") A tourist snaps a picture without bothering to really see what's in the viewfinder. A person who takes pictures of people without asking for permission, and who doesn't bother to stop and say a word to the subject of her new photograph. A tourist passes through.
A traveler immerses herself, no matter how long she is there for, in the local culture. She chats with people on the street, in cafés, in bars, maybe even talking to one person for hours. A traveler is engaged, active, curious. A traveler questions her stereotypes and beliefs, and substitutes past prejudices with newly made memories. A traveler leaves each place changed. A tourist is merely a visitor.
To be honest, in Barcelona I would say I was neither. I was there, but I didn't fully connect with the city. However, there are places where I would absolutely say I took in that place with all my heart and soul. Belgium, Poland, France - those are places I saw.
I'm sure there are much better descriptions of what I've just said, because it's a popular notion. I encourage travelers present and future to embrace it.
The more I make plans for my return to WashU, the more excited I am to see you, Colleen! I'm excited that we're taking a class together in the spring (I've said it publicly so it's gotta happen now). Thanks for your update emails - you always keep me in the loop. I can't wait to hear about all the new experiences you've taken on this semester at wustl.
Much luv,
Nicole
No comments:
Post a Comment