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Travel Reading


I love to read (print, digital, and audio), and if you always have a book with you, then you can find some time to read. I'm also a strong believer in anchoring while reading.  I can remember listening to Chopin A La Moog when I was a teen while reading Journey to the Center of the Earth and Ira Leven's This Perfect Day, and sill today when I hear music from that album I remember those books. I also think that that kind of anchoring can be done with where you are reading. Of course, not your favorite reading place at home where you normally read, but when you are traveling. I am lucky that I can travel for work, I am a teacher and Fulbright Specialist, and my work has taken me so many interesting places. When I was younger one of the problems I had while traveling was brining enough books to read, since depending on where you go you might not be able to get more books. This wasn't a problem while traveling in my home country, but you might not be surprised that it is a bit hard to find interesting science fiction in English when you are in China teaching at a university in Xi'an. That issue is one of the reasons I love my ebook reader. I can bring lots of books so I can have choices of what I want to read next (and an added bonus is changing the size of the text - depending on how I am traveling - shaking trains and busses need a larger text size). You might think, "you should look out the window, not read" and it is important to look out the window and see the sites. Of course, that would imply that there was a window to be able to see out of. Once when I was teaching in China I took a bus to and a train from the Great Wall of China, both ways I had to stand all the way there and back and couldn't really see out a window.

Actually taking a needed break while walking on the Great Wall with Parley by Jamie McFarlane.

The other great thing about a pocket-sized eink device is how easy it is to take with you, then not only can you look around, write in your journal or sketch, you can also take a break and read.

Taking a break to read while biking Red Rock Canyon, NV - reading the Wrecking Crew by Taylor Zajonc
Climbing up to the Buddha in Hong Kong (lots of steps) and taking a reading break with Less Doing, More Living by Ari Meisel.
Walking through Seoul Korea's palace grounds and taking a break to read The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. 
Climbing up to the castle in Edinburgh, taking a reading rest, and then to watch the sunset and re-read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 
    Depending on how I feel, sometimes I take books that have ties to the places I am going, Great fun to read Harry Potter in Scotland and later walk by the place it was written.  They are also great when waiting in train stations or airports too.

“One is never alone with a book nearby, don't you agree? Every page reminds us of a day that has passed and makes us relive the emotions that filled it. ” ― Arturo Pérez-Reverte. So take to your traveling friend with you to dinner (if you don't have any other friends around at the time or place).
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