I suppose the big question here is whether we are viewing the place we are visiting as merely a set of sights to be seen, or as a home to the people who live there and therefore with a life, a pulse, of its own. Yes, those sights are very much worth seeing and are a part of that culture, but for me, a big part of visiting a location is being in that culture as opposed to just looking at it like it is another interesting Disney creation. I don't profess to know the best way to do that, but for me, it is taking time to do what local people do - sit and rest in a park, have a picnic (as I did one very nice afternoon in Kensington Gardens in London), even doing the laundry in a laundromat ( as opposed to having the hotel do it for you) and shopping for groceries. It is in those small things that you begin to appreciate the differences, small and large, between the culture of the country you am visiting and what you am familiar with.

Where the language is the same (for me, the USA, the UK and Ireland - Australia is still to come), the differences are often subtle (especially in the US) but still notable. When you are thrust into an environment where you are outside of your comfort zone in life is where you begin to truly experience the world more fully, provided you embrace the fact that much discomfort we experience isn't necessarily unpleasant, just unfamiliar. A different language is one of those situations. Even though I know a bit of French, and I can construct some sentences, it takes a while before I can understand much of what is being said to me. In Paris, you could get by with English only, but there is no challenge (and no growth) in that.

Any way, what's my point? It is that visitors should make sure to pause and make some effort to live in the culture they are visiting, as opposed to just looking at it. One of the more egregious examples of the "observer" approach was witnessed during my last visit to France two years ago. People at the art museums were stopping at paintings just long enough to photograph them and move on - rarely actually taking time to observe and appreciate the work before them. In many cases, I doubt they will remember what the photo is of when looking at it later. It was an extreme instance of collecting samples of one's visit, but hardly an experience. It seems that all too often the experiences people report on their return home are about the food, the weather or (if of an age younger than me) the parties (which arguably could be part of the culture). Admittedly, my own travels are event driven - generally work related conferences I'm attending (and often have no time for much else) or horse racing and thoroughbred horse industry events. These events provide me with a focus; my brother did a similar trip in Europe with his focus on attending Formula One Grand Prix auto races. While the event provides a focus, it allows a lot of time to casually experience the culture around you. The racetrack in the horse world is especially good at that, and anthropologist Kate Fox has done a very good (and very humourous) job in highlighting this in her book The Racing Tribe.

Anyway, be in or a part of whatever or wherever you are visiting if you can. Experience as much as possible, don't just look - touch it and let it touch you.