Ruth

Interesting question when you think about it, yes I don't really get the ambiance of a place until I put myself in it mentally, now that I think about it. I hadn't thought that way before, thank you.

molly

Tammy, you must read The Moviegoer by Walker Percy if you have not already. Very appropriate in response to your question.

Jackie

When we travel,we get up in the morning and look outside and scream "Oh my God We are Actually in Italy." ( or wherever we are) We hug each other and cry..<BR>Thank you God for all the beautiful places I have seen...<BR> Jackie

Shanna

Maybe what Tammy is talking about isn't herself (all you blithering, self-righteous bashers). It might be that she suddenly finds herself occupying space in the continuum, part of the history of a reknowned place, participating in the sense of that place created by others who have been profoundly affected, realizing the reality and fantasy that travel along time to bring her to that spot. It's really about being part of something HUGE, not ME ME ME. You meanies can go take a nap. Tammy, I know exactly what you are talking about. It's very powerful, stepping out of yourself to exist for a moment with your ego aside, resident in something wonderful and unique. At Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey, it made the tears jump out of my eyes. For a moment, I could hardly breathe. Afterwards, there may actually have been a glow around me.

Tammy

Wow, Shanna, you said it! That, my friends, is what I was trying to say.<BR>I am happy that so many of you can feel what I did too. It is hard to put into words but you all did it. I feel teary eyed just thinking about how I love my trips.

jeanne

I love this topic. I noticed long ago that there are two broad categories of travellers. <BR><BR>First: There are those who must have a photograph the instant they arrive at a scenic view, their hotel, historic site, etc. The first thing they do is grab the camera and start lining everyone up. I'm not referring to serious photography. I think it has something to do with being more concerned to be seen by others (back home) in this setting as opposed to just taking in the experience.<BR><BR>Second: This group arrives on a scene and "absorbs" it for a time. They generally go quiet, turn introspective. I suspect these people have a "romantic" view of history. They take pictures, too, but not immediately. <BR><BR>I'm sure this could be described better. I'm not putting down photographers. I just think to some people the photos are more important than the actual experience...kind of like a hunter's trophy.

Man's

This is definitely a chick thread.

Theo

Well, anyone can be introspective regardless of their sex. The ancient philosphers were "in touch with their feelings" and they were mostly male.<BR>Something has happened to most modern men, they seem to be afraid to think or feel deeply, or at least be caught doing it.

glossyeyed

I would venture to say that there is no "ambience" in and of itself--only how one perceives the place to be (kind of like art not being in the process of making a painting, film, etc. but rather in the way that it is seen by others).

Andrea

I am an unabashed picture-taker-trophy-hunter. As I mentioned earlier, I do have a strong sense of incredulity and thankfulness when I visit someplace. I make a sincere effort to learn about a place before I visit.<BR><BR>I do, however, try to ensure that I get an us-in-front-of-the-famous-thing picture everywhere we go, in addition to many others. I have never regretted stopping to take a picture, but I have several times regretted a vacation from which I returned with too few photos.<BR><BR>The rewards of being a picture-trophy-hunter are twofold. First, I always have wonderful pictures of our vacations, and it's very fun to have pictures of ourselves in them - personalizes it and brings back memories the way postcards and books can't. <BR><BR>Secondly, I have a pretty good start on our "travel wall", something I've always wanted. I'm sitting in our living room as I type this, and one of our walls has pictures from our travels. Not all of our trips are included, just some of the nicer pictures. In St. Peter's Square in Rome, on an elephant in Thailand, going to the opera at the Bolshoi, at the Parthenon in Athens, in front of St. Paul's in Macao, in a winery in Chianti, at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Duomo in Milan. Every time we see that wall, we're reminded of how lucky we've been to be able to travel so much, and when a certain photo catches our eye, we can instantly be transported back to the moment that we were there - experiencing that wave of incredulity!

AMan'sMan

Theo is definitely gay.

Theo

Ha, I rest my case.

Lucas

You seem to study "modern men" a lot, Theo. Perhaps Man has a point. Anyway, why waste time defending this hideous joke of a thread. As far a the original "question" - I've read things which are less disjointed written by people peaking on acid trips. The women seem to like it however - now there's a surprise!

MaryC

Tammy, I knew EXACTLY what you meant, too. And, yeah, I love that feeling, you're almost outside of yourself, picturing yourself in a place of which you've ALWAYS dreamed!! SIGH!!!

xxx

Chicks....

lina

Swiss Chalet, KFC, or Easter?

russ

This thread brought back a lot of memories from my two years living in Bologna, Italy. There were so many experiences that gave me that dumbstruck feeling: sitting in a piazza on a warm summer's night watching a silent film as an orchestra played the soundtrack; staying by the sea in Pulgia over the Ferragosto holiday and participating in the traditional midnight swim on August 15; taking the train to Cento (about an hour from Bologna) to see the second biggest Carnivale in Italy (after Venice) on a chilly February day. Even while buying prosciutto or bread at the shops on my street, it would hit me. "I live here. Wow." Three years later and I am still having withdrawls.

Mrs. Grundy

Hello, Lucas, it's me, your old English teacher. You have indeed read and written less disjointed "things" when you and your friends were plagiarizing other authors while taking those drugs. And women always did surprise you. So, you'll have to stay after school - AGAIN - for wasting everyone's time with your unsubstantiated opinion! You'll enjoy it - there will be other boys around.

Dreamer

Tammy-<BR>I had that moment,my first trip to London.<BR>I stood in the street near Parliament the day after arriving, and just kept turning around, looking at the buildings,the sky,the people, and thought to myself...I am really here.This is real. It finally has happened .....it is definitely a "Pinch me,so I am not dreaming" kind of feeling to finally be in the place you have dreamt of being in for so long.<BR>The same thing happened when I woke up the first morning after arriving in Paris, and sat in the park behind Notre Dame..Is this person sitting here,really me?

AllMan

Only time I've had that experience was the first time I got laid. I had to pinch myself and say, "I'm finally here, it's really happening." <BR><BR>I was in Paris. I'll never forget it.