 |
| Writing in the backwoods of Cape Breton. |
It took me years to write, will you take a look?" -- The Beatles
If I could possess any super-human power, I would definitely choose that of time travel (sorry, world peace). Sometimes, I catch myself longing for it to be the 16th century, the era of early exploration. During these years, one left the shores of their native land, and set sail for whatever lay beyond the horizon. They didn't have any idea what land they would stumble upon, or if they would even make it across the sea at all. I am convinced on a daily basis that I was born into the wrong period of time. Instead, I find myself in the generation of the guidebook.
Travel guides, I believe, have defeated the whole purpose of travel. However, I have to admit, reluctantly, that I am a lazy traveller who probably couldn't survive travel without them. I don't plan my trips much in advance because I figure that my guidebook will help me find my way around. I have relied on guidebooks too much in the past. As a result, I have found myself in some sticky situations, in which I blame almost entirely on my written companion. The small scale maps are almost always inaccurate. The majority of the hostels/hotels that they highly recommend turn out to be dives (I guess the millions of other readers had the chance to arrive before I did). Some of the places that they vaguely write about have been the ones that I fell in love with, and I wished that I would have known more about them beforehand. That being said, if travel guides are to our generation what exploration was in the earlier centuries, I might as well get on board.
A Dozen Reasons why Lonely Planet Should Hire me:
1. I Am (a reluctant) Canadian: I heart maple syrup. I refer to my winter hat as a toque. I get excited whenever I see a pair of Canadian geese. If I had a couch, I would call it my chesterfield. I think I am incredibly fortunate to have access to a Canadian passport. I don't say "eh," I don't own anything with "Canada" splashed on it, and I don't sport a maple leaf on my backpack. I am definitely not a patriotic citizen, and I have not been brain-washed to believe that I hail from the best country in the world. In other words, I have never felt a strong attachment to my native country. My family's roots have been planted in Canadian soil for so long, I don't feel a connection to my ancestors' homelands either. I long to belong to a culture that does not involve materialism, westernization, and middle-class. Since I have always felt that I have no real cultural ties, I am open and un-biased towards learning about a world outside of my own, and am eager to adopt customs from others.
2. I Supposedly Have a Talent for Writing: I was a terrible student in university, so it came as quite a shock, one day, when I had a professor tell me that my writing skills were exceptional. I also had a psychic say that I had a real knack for languages.
3. My Writing Style is Down-To-Earth (?) and for Dummies: I don't feel a need to impress, and I have zero tolerance for pomp. I don't believe in using big words that most people will not understand. It would just make me look stupid. My way with words can be quite wordy at times (I like description), but (I think) is quite readable for the average person.
4. Jimmy Buffett is one of my Idols: I am envious of the good-time-guy, and I long for his unconventional lifestyle. The thought of having to work a 9 to 5 job makes me panic, and I don't want to live for the weekends. Writing would be the perfect alternative for me.
5. I Am Capable of Going Long Spurts Without Proper Hygiene: Take it from a girl who used to have competitions with her dad to see who could go the longest without bathing in the summertime (ocean swimming does count as a proper washing). This, in my mind, is an important skill to have while on assignment.
6. I Grew up in Rural Cape Breton: I spent decades without knowing what Starbucks was, and being a good two hours away from movie theatres, restaurants, and shopping malls. To this day, I think I am still quite low-maintenance and treat these as luxuries. I am more in my element in remote areas.
7. My All-Time Favorite Class was Creative Writing: In grade 6, I had a year long class in which all we were required to do was illustrate and make-up stories. Besides art and social studies, it was the only subject where I made straight As, and my grades were consistent. I felt quite smart.
8. I Am Willing to try Anything at Least Once in the Name of Travel: Well, almost anything. I draw the line at going to a nude beach. And bungee jumping (I have a weird phobia of being upside down, but that is a story to be told on another day).
9. I Have a Passion for Africa: Culture, people, art, animals, landscape, colors---- throughout my life, I have been drawn to all things African. Personally, I believe Africa to be the most underrated and most misunderstood continent in the universe. It boggles my mind to go to the bookstore and see a hundred books about Paris, and only one for the whole of Africa. I would love to be given the dream assignment of researching, travelling, and writing about it.
10. I am Adventurous, Independent, Feisty, Have a Warped Sense of Humour, and Adore Solitude: Five necessary qualities needed to maintain one's wits and sanity while travelling, I reckon.
11. I Believe in Being a Traveller, not a Tourist: My theory is that you have no right to judge a place until you have spent at least a month to six weeks there. This is the amount of time it takes to get over the initial honeymoon phase, culture shock, and become accepted as a local.
12. Travelling is by far my Proudest accomplishment: My greatest achievement? Touching down on six continents by the age of 24, and travelling them extensively by the age of 26. I couldn't have done it without my guidebook.
Hook me up, LP!
No comments:
Post a Comment