There is an old Asian proverb that is dear to our hearts:
“Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.”
There are some places that come quickly to mind when you think of tourist destinations. The Great Wall of China. The Grand Canyon. The Eiffel Tower. Surely, everyone who’s anyone has seen them, so why should we bother?
There are some who hold to their truth that the only places worth seeing are those that are new, unspoilt and hidden. Nobody worth knowing has seen them, so why should we bother?
Who but you should decide what you should see? Whether you’ve heard about it a thousand times or just once in a whisper, it is, at least, better to see something once.
I really like this saying. Especially took it to heart because I visited California, and really wanted to visit Hollywood despite everyone telling me that it wasn’t that great. I went there and thought it was pretty awesome! I’ll go wherever I want to go, no matter what people say.
Hi Maria – Thanks for your comments. I think sometimes “we” get too caught up in trying to define authentic traveling. For every person who thinks everyone has seen the Eiffel Tower, or the Hollywood Sign, or whatever, I find more people who wish they had. Reminds me of the old song by the Mamas & the Papas: You gotta go where you wanna go, do what you wanna do…” (I know, that’s going to be stuck in everyone’s head for days now!)