Too Short for a Blog Post, Too Long for a Tweet 427
Here are a few excerpts from a book I recently read, "Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel," by Shahnaz Habib. This has happened to me again and again. In a new place, I am never adventurous; I am cautious. It takes me a few days simply to get used to stepping out of wherever I am staying. At first, I stick to the neighborhood, like an animal getting used to a new environment. I want to be curious and intrepid; instead, I am confused and lonely. (Jet lag does not help.) And always I am conscious of what a waste of time this is. If only I could just get up and go do things, how much time I could save. I am basically the opposite of Anthony Bourdain. A couple of million Americans visit Paris every year. Interestingly, the average American would not have thought of France as a tourism destination until well into the twentieth century. Prior to that, European travel from the United States was largely limited to the wealthy, soldiers, businesspeople, and diplomats. It
