Blog 2

1.) I travel so I can be exposed to something different then what I see day to day.  I want to escape the day to day things that I do and expose myself to something different by witnessing different cultures and countries through traveling.  Much like Iyers quote, "we need sometimes, to escape into open solitudes, into aimlessness, into the moral holiday of running some pure hazard, in order to sharpen the edge of life, to taste hardship, and to be compelled to work desperately for a moment at not matter what."
2.) Iyer's quote about traveling in oder to see with new eyes explains that people travel not so they can just see the sights but to see the world through the eyes of someone living in the country that you are visiting.  So they can see how that country's culture and geography may change their outlook on life or certain aspects of life.  This may relate to me in that when I go to Australia I don't want to go and just see Australia's landmarks but take in the culture of the nation and witness life like the people who have lived there their entire lives.
3.) Iyer's quote, "What gives value to travel is fear." shows that the value of traveling is not to stay in a safety net and just watch the country you are visiting, but instead to put yourself out there and take risks so that you can really get the most out of your trip and so you can experience the challenge of trying to thrive in this new culture and environment that you have been placed in.   
4.)  I agree with Iyer's idea of a traveler being a carrier pigeon by bringing their culture to the place they are visiting as well as bringing the culture of the place they're visiting back with them and sharing it with the people of their home country.  By doing this it allows the two nations to form a bond.  It shows the people what others of a certain country are like and almost creates a sense of acceptance between the two opposite places.
5.) My favorite quote is, "We need sometimes, to escape into open solitudes, into aimlessness, into the moral holiday of running some pure hazard, in order to sharpen the edge of life, to taste hardship, and to be compelled to work desperately for a moment at no matter what."  I like this quote because this idea that you travel in order to escape ones day to day life and present challenges to overcome appeals to me in that it shows how by traveling you are putting yourself out there and hoping to bring adventure into your life.  To escape the day to day things you do in your life and try to overcome hardships you come to on your journey and enjoy yourself all the while.

Januray Class Blog 1

1.  Intro
Hey everyone, this is Mason.  I currently am a sophomore at grayslake central highschool.  I play lacrosse and made junior varsity last year.  On my free time I like to play video games and listen to music.  I have a dog named Finn and an olders sister that is a senior right now.  I have never been outside of the country before and I'm pretty excited to visit Austrailia.  My overall goal while there is to get some good facebook pics.

2.  Why did you sign up for this course?
I signed up for this class because I have always wanted to travel the world and this is the first opprotunity I've had to follow this dream.  Also, a lot of my friends signed up for it and I thought I would have a really fun time traveling with them.  In 4th grade a boy from austrailia named Ben moved into my neighborhood, after listening to his stories about austrailia it made me want to travel there even more.  After I met him I decided that when I got older that I would move to austrailia.  Although this is no longer my plan, I still have my heart set at, the very least, to visit and I look forward to witnessing their culture and seeing the sights while I am there.

3.  What specifically interests you in Australia or New Zealand?
The great barrier reef is widely known as one of the best places to scuba dive in the world and is one of the most interesting and diverse underwater habitats in the world.  I have been a licsensed scuba diver since 6th grade and this is the biggest thing that I am excited about on our trip.  As well as this  I can't wait to see the opera house in Sydney since its looks so cool.  I think the one thing that I have to see while in Australia is a kangaroo.  Its just a cool animal. 

4. Why do you think learning about where you are going before actually going can improve your traveling experience?
By learning about where one is going before hand I think can improve the actual traveling experience by letting that person link what they have learned with the places they are visiting, thus allowing them to get the most out of their trip.  They will see what various landmarks and locations have to do with the history of the country and see why they were built or why they look a certain way.  This way they do not just see the country for its sight but also to see the culture underlying the landmarks and places they visit.