Every small journey starts with a great book

From fantasy and travel books to “Space Tourism.”

Is it as the world gets smaller that we no longer need in travel literature?

The world gets smaller, anyone can get anywhere and if once we wrote about exotic places today, all the information you ever needed is just a few keystrokes away. I would dare to say that there are only a few true virgin places that remained on Earth. If once a journey to Brazil was a huge adventure, it is now a popular tourism destination. In the last Fifty (50) years the tourism industry went through a huge revolution. Many of us became to be great travelers and explorers, but in doing so, as we rush to the nearest airport, we left the travel literature identity in crisis. Why it exists? Why do we need it?

Traveling in imagination and back in time, the 15 century was a start of a new era with geographical explorations of the world’s map. Nowadays is the dawn of a new era of Space Tourism.

Space Tourism, our next frontier awaits our visits as we are about to explore space as never seen before. Think of all those future great astronaut pioneers and explorers of the 21st century…Think of the new great discoveries they are about to make…

Think of the 3G – Gospel, Gold and Glory that expects us all…

What I can be certain of is that we always have to challenge ourselves to see how far we can grow, learn and strive for excellence.

‘A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ship were made for’

A replica of Columbus’ ship The Santa Maria (image: BBC)

Another big question is of course why is it that we love so much to travel? What is it that the journey gives us? It encompasses discomfort, problems, and hardships, and yet, every year, sometimes several times a year, we pack a suitcase and leave. I think it is as the experience of the journey leads us out of our familiar environment and gets us closer into our own being.

Same is in reading good fantasy or travel books: they bring the journey to us, enter inside us and leave a memory to remain for a lifetime.

One of the writers that inspired me of becoming a writer is none other then the French writer, Joules Verne, and especially his book ‘around the world in 80 days’ that was written more than 140 years ago. Back then, the airplane was not yet invented, and Phileas Fogg, the Protagonist of Verne and an impeccable English gentleman, was making his way around the world on ships, trains and on the back of an elephant or a horse-drawn carriage.

Fog is actually a terrible tourist. He wants only to fulfill his mission. Sights along the way are not to his interest. Just tell him where and when the next ship is sailing to and he will be satisfied. On the other hand, Passepartout – his loyal servant, is the real tourist, a curious and lovable character whom is willing to suffer as to explore and learn.

Today, “Space Tourism” is an industry that is in its infancy and a sexy destination for self-realization, more and more wealthy capitalists are setting the goal to be space pioneers. My message is to never forget and enjoy the journey, as marking a tick up there in space or here on earth is not the goal, the journey itself is the goal. I am sure you all know that however reminders from time to time, do no harm.

“A man can circle the world as a fly circles an apple” 13th Century quote.

Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne (Book cover)

As I opened above, saying ‘The world gets smaller, anyone can get anywhere,’ it is true also with us getting to the understanding that we all share the same dream, and that we are all the same, wishing to ourselves and our loved ones nothing but being happy.

I have a dream, we share a dream, that one day soon, we will start looking at ourselves as mankind and not as governments and individuals, than the world will start to look different. Concerning matters, such as wars, maladies, endangered animals, global climate changes and exploring the outer-space – all topics will be our common challenges to be solved as we never experienced before.

To the success of the new Astronaut pioneers,

Virgin Galactic Space Tourism – Documentary