“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” — Augustine of Hippo
If you don't know what you're missing does it matter? Travel is a funny thing. I know people who have no desire to see the world or experience anything outside their comfort zone and yet seem completely content and fulfilled. I'm not one of those people. I want to wander about and gaze upon the things I have read about and seen in books for as long as I can remember. For me travel is completely experiential. It’s about an appreciation and historical perspective of who we are and our own relative insignificance that is otherwise impossible to grasp without a greater, physical context or tactical experience. It is also about seeing first-hand the great works of people who have long since passed, whose creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship have withstood the test of time and the elements, and who continue to inspire so many so far into the future.
While showing slides of paintings and architecture during his lecture, an art history professor of mine once said that it is difficult to truly appreciate something until you see it for yourself. That simple, profound statement has stuck with me for 35 years. It’s impossible to comprehend the grandeur of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome until you step foot inside its cavernous nave and stand next to the massive, intricately carved wood pillars of the papal alter, or climb up into the dome and peer back down at dizzying heights, or witnessing the perfection of Michelangelo's David in Florence until standing in front of it, frozen by its sheer size and beauty. If your idea of a gondola ride is the Venetian in Las Vegas, you're figuratively and literally missing the boat. How many masters have come and gone who set standards of excellence to which we still measure ourselves and our potential?! To behold their accomplishments can be an intimate, life-changing experience. Venice is one of those places that anything short of being there means never understanding why it has drawn so many people to its canals for hundreds of years, or appreciating its unique setting and contribution to history and western culture.
For my wife, nephew and I Venice was one of several stops on a spring Senior Trip in the Spring of 2017 before the crowds and heat of summer descend on Europe. In spite of the many places we've traveled to and things we've seen over the years I still found myself in awe as we contemplated the shimmering gold mosaics inside St. Mark's Basilica and wandered the beautifully adorned
Doges' Palace, sitting on the same benches others sat as justice and guilty sentences were meted out resulting in either freedom or imprisonment in the small, windowless cells of the cold, dark prison next door, shutout from the world and awaiting an impending doom.
Would it have mattered if we had never stopped here? For me, yes. The world and its people and cultures—past and present—are truly remarkable, and the difficulty in getting to some place new or visiting another time and again like old friends never gets tiresome. While my life isn't defined by travel, my hopes and aspirations continue to be shaped and inspired by the many pages this world has to offer if I just make the sacrifice.
