“In his book, he has divided the discussion of The Art of Travel into five parts: Departure, Motives, Landscape, Art and Return. A review is not supposed to reveal the plot nor the core of the story, but I needed write how I understood each part of traveling. Some spoiler from hereon I reckon, so be warned (I assure you though, my ability to explain is far more inferior than that of Alain’s).
Departure has something to do primarily with Anticipation. Many times in our travels, the “looking forward to” part is exhilarating in itself. Waiting for the bus, train, or plane consist of waiting as we all know, and thinking about the good things as we expect a wondrous vacation sometimes doesn’t happen and fall short of our expectations.
The author offers the nature of humans to expect. We forget that especially if we have invested too much (say paid handsomely) for a travel and believing that it will never go wrong. I agree with Alain though, that in our travels, we have moments of soliloquy, of this tranquil moment alone. I believe that is the potent ingredient in my own travels, a date with solitude.
Motives are one’s reason for traveling, it answers the question: Why travel? You have your reasons, and the author offered many that perhaps you have had in the past. The mundane is never simple when you are in another place because the details are not the same, may it be a poster, sign board, how people talk, and how strangers look at you.
Landscape and Art are the somewhat new to me, here the author will educate you of the importance of seeing the beauty in your surrounding and knowing a bit of history so that you may add context in your experience. Traveling inspires, only if you have eyes that will acknowledge.
Returning is quite familiar, the feeling of leaving an old or new friend behind. That traveling can be very relative, it can even happen in your own bedroom! How that is possible is explained by De Botton by citing historical facts based on previous lovers of travel.
You will be educated, inspired, and humbled by reading this book. In the process, you will know that traveling is not just mere action required by our need to experience new things and seeking change as a human being, it is also about the art of traveling, thus the title my friend.”
