Two Readings on Perception: Part II

Alain de Botton's The Art of Travel has been on my reading list for years and I finally found it tucked away at an independent bookstore this summer. Similar to Oliver Sacks' book from Part I, this was the first book of Botton's I've read, after hearing recommendations and accolades for ages. It's an easy read and a little gem; not so much travel essays as musings on travel and the philosophy behind it, with many YES! moments that pretty much guarantee I'll be reading more of his work.

"I had inadvertently brought myself to the island." (p.19) I find this becoming more true in the adult world, where I need to worry about what I've booked for when and what's going to happen at work while I'm gone and also check my text messages and email and Facebook and the news. There's a joy in vacation planning and anticipating escape from the daily grind, but, as Botton points out, the daily grind follows you in habits. It takes a conscious effort to not think about work and not constantly check the smartphone. This was significantly easier on my most recent vacation due to lack of an international roaming plan and overpriced pay-by-the-hour wifi. I had also spent a chunk of change to get where I was going and god damn it, I was going to pay attention to the present moment.

And about that "being present in the moment" thing: I liked Botton's suggestion that we try to adopt a travel mind-set to more local places. Our own neighborhoods seem boring because we see them every day on autopilot and just tune out. When I first moved into the city, sitting at a street-corner cafe and reading was almost thrillingly new. Living the life! While still enjoyable today, it's less of a novelty and I catch myself focused more on where I need to go next and what time is it and wow it's hot outside ...

I LOVED Botton's take on the beauty of nature. LOVED. IT. There was so much YES! and spot-on prose, like this quote: "We may see in nature certain scenes that will stay with us throughout our lives and offer us, every time they enter our consciousness, both a contrast to and relief from present difficulties." (p.151)  He also discusses nature as a way to connect with a "greater power" in a society increasing disillusioned with religious institutions, summarized perfectly here:

"If the world seems unfair or beyond our understanding, sublime places suggest that it is not surprising that things should be thus ... [they] gently move us to acknowledge limitations that we might otherwise encounter with anxiety or anger ... it is the vast spaces of nature that perhaps provide us with the finest, the most respectful reminder of all that exceeds us." (p.176)

cited by Botton: The Rocky Mountains, Landers Peak (Albert Bierstadt, 1863)

Other odds & ends: 
- Flaubert cameo
- relation to art
- why we take souvenirs

Botton line: Come for the relatable themes, stay for the profundity of the prose.