Excess Baggage

The first chapter of Alain De Botton's book 'The Art of Travel' is one that I frequently return to. He refers to the incongruence of the anticipation and reality of travel and the inevitable dissapointment.

"I was to discover an unexpected continuity between the melancholic self I had been at home and the person I was to be on the island", Bottom writes. We expect that we will be able to escape ourselves on holiday but yet our selves seem to follow us there. "It seems we may best be able to inhabit a place when we are not faced with the additional challenge of having to be there". This take on travel warms me with the hopelessness of humans trapped within themselves. The simple act of dislocation will not help you to escape your worries, your thoughts and your heavy subconscience.

Whilst we are in the country, the weighty presence of our body and conscience eclipse the most valuable aspects of our surroundings but when we are not there "there is a purity both in the remembered and in the anticipated visions of a place: it is the place itself that is allowed to stand out". The planning and reminiscing are as valuable as the trip itself.

I am going through a process of arm chair travelling at the moment. Exploring countries and cultures through books. However I would still like to feel the soil beneath my feet.

The Life You Can Save

Peter Singer, The Life You Can Save

Human Foil

Richard Long, A Line Made by Walking (1967)
Guardian article, by Robert MacFarlane

Making the connection

Currently reading 'Three Cups of Tea'. A story about Greg Mortenson in Pakistan founding the Cenral Asia Institute. His dedication to the project is made possible because of his passion for the culture and the people. Once he connected with the Balti people in a meaningful way, he was impassioned to help them in a significant way. I'm not saying that we are all capable of acheiving what he did but I think it shows the importance of the initial connection with a place. If he hadn't been taken in by the Balti people, he would have carried on as a climber, thanking his Balti sherper for their services with a one-time tip. Instead he returned and built a school, and then another, and then another...

Central Asia Institute

Customer support in online travel

It makes absolute sense that as consumer skepticism is growing with the rise of the internet and bootleg companies that customer support becomes a valuable differentiator. Internet travel companies have the ability to show off a vast variety of exciting produce and services collected from the far corners of the earth but where there are long distances involved, quality assurance, support services and guarantees are essential. And I don't mean user reviews. It can be complicated and difficult to provide but it is what the customer expects. If there isn't a number you can call, why not?

ATG have a great e-commerce optimization service called 'Click to Call' or 'Click to Chat'

Revival of the blog

Right, this is my pledge to keep my blog active and interesting. One new thing everyday - think I can do it? Who wants a bet?

I have been very quiet as I my life has taken a new course in the past few months. I have gone from Dot, doing advertising in Moscow, to Dot, working in responsible travel in London.

There are all sorts of unseen and intangible parts of my self that are being a bit slow to adapt. I sometimes feel like a rabbit caught in the headlights. I think often changes are more difficult to deal with than you realise. Logically, it isn't going to have dramatic affects on your person but if you try to look forward to look back, and think how you will reflect on this change in 40 years time, you realise that it is a sharper turn in your path through life, or a bigger cross road than you can see from in the thick of it. You need to take time to absorb, let yourself be taken by it and most importantly, not panic!

That's enough about me. There will be more from now on about travel and being a good traveller as well as the usual mix of thoughts on visual culture, advertising and my usual ideas and thoughts on what its like to be a person in this world.