The World from your Couch

These days, a TV is a regular staple of our homes. In fact, the average American home has at least 2 TVs, and the average American watching a whopping 5 hours of television each day (which, when considering that most of us work at least 8 hours per day, is a bit ridiculous - it's like watching tv is our part time job on the side!)!

So this means that you have most likely stumbled upon a show that had travel at it's core - maybe The Amazing Race or Bizarre Foods or Rick Steve's Europe. Perhaps you caught a documentary, or a fictionalized movie that got your mind blurring what is real and not real.

Either way, there's one truth - television can help to make the world seem a lot smaller.

However, that comes with a catch - when you watch these shows, you may see many fascinating places, but you aren't really getting the full experience. For example, you can always watch one of my travel videos (like the one below from my visit to Furnas, in Sao Miguel in the Azores), but you won't be able to experience the smoke burning your eyes or have the stench of sulfur choke you while you bravely try to pretend like it's not so bad.


True, that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think you understand what I am illustrating - there is often no substitute for getting out and experiencing the world yourself. You may discover that the world is actually a big place filled with fascinating people and extraordinary phenomena, some of which may not be around much longer with the way the climate has been changing.

My challenge to you is to try to get in at least one international trip in your lifetime. It can be something relatively simple - such as a cruise down to the Bahamas where you can try conch fritters for the first time while enjoying island music - or something relatively complicated - like a trip around Europe via rail and car. You can do this with a travel agent (my completely biased first pick for you lol) or maybe turn in your credit card points or book something yourself.

The world really is bigger when you go out and see it firsthand - it's much more fun than settling in for a night on the couch!