In the first extract, de Botton writes about traveling as a search for happiness. We're drawn to certain places by enticing images or ideas, even though reality is usually different from what we anticipate it to be. In de Botton's case, he was inspired to travel to Barbados by a brochure with a beach and palm trees. Although he was focused on this image of Barbados before the trip, he found that it was an extreme abbreviation of his experience. He discovered that happiness does not simply come from traveling to these places, we must satisfy our emotional and psychological needs first. In addition, we travel to find ourselves, but we also travel both in hopes of leaving ourselves at home and leaving a piece of ourselves where we traveled.
Question 2: Now read the first extract ("Bernese Oberland") by Jemima Morrell (1863). What strikes you about her account of Switzerland? What things or practices does she describe which you think are recognizably "touristic" by today's standards? Make a list of all the places/sights she mentions - be ready to see how many of them you get to visit/see.
Places she mentions:
- Col de Forclaz
- Martigny
- St. Bernard
- Sion
- Sierre
- Leukerbad
- Albinen
- Gemmi
- Daubensee
- Vale of the Gastern
- Kandersteg
- Frutigen
We were struck by Miss Jemima's detailed descriptions of the landscape: the snowcapped mountains , the valleys, flowers and trees. It was interesting to read that the most satisfying days of her journey were spent outside, away from the cities. We also noticed that she was very interested in the bizarre or entertaining aspects of a person, place or activity. For example, she watched a group of people bathing because she thought it was interesting and entertaining.
Some of her practices that were recognizably "touristic" by today's standards include the artist who sketches the landscapes. This person could be compared to a tourist who takes pictures of all of the places they see. Also, she travels in a group with a guide and keeps a journal that is a narrative of all the places she got to see. Even back in the 1800s, Jemima was still a tourist just like we are today.
Question 3: Write a journal-like account of your own preparations for traveling to Switzerland, the expectations you have for Switzerland, and the experience of traveling to Switzerland, etc.
All of us had different experiences packing and preparing to trek all the way to beautiful Interlaken, Switzerland. Some of us had bags that were 25 lbs too heavy for the plane, and some of us brought only a backpack. Some of us stayed on a terrace in Italy before arriving to the program, and some of us arrived just in time. Some of us lost all of our luggage in the midst of changing planes and trains, and some of us wish we had left some of our luggage at home. Some of us have never been off the continent of North America, and some of us have traveled all over the world.
Regardless of how we got here, we're all very excited to continue exploring all that Interlaken and the rest of Switzerland have to offer!
- Courtney Gosnell & Emily Eggers