Pico Ayer

I travel to be able to compare different places I see and also because of the strive for knowledge. I want to see the beautiful places in the world that i can only imagine from pictures or stories how great they really are. Nothing in pictures can prepare you for how enormous or pretty the sight in front of you is. Traveling to these places puts a memory into your mind for the rest of your life and you can be the one to tell the next story to people who have never been there. The quote from Pico is saying that you must accept the new places you see not reject them because they are different from the norm. If you expect everything to be the same as back home, you will never enjoy to be a traveler. When i came to the USA when i was 5, i had to look at things with a new eyes as well. I did not know how to speak English and the culture here was very different. I was forced to adapt and grow a "new pair of eyes" to be able to fit in the country. Pico with this next quote is saying that seeing something new is the greatest part of travel. When you introduce yourself to something you've never seen or done before, that is when things get really exciting. Although Australia is pretty modernized, there are going to be new things that we will see. Different culture, people, and even accents will intrigue us differently. But the things that we are not used to will bring us the greatest emotions rather than the things we are used to seeing. Usually travelers are pigeons without even noticing that they are doing so. I do not think travelers have the responsibility to be one but it usually occurs naturally. People will always tell their stories about what they enjoyed the most and starting a conversation with a stranger, you usually talk about what it is like back home. So, even though travelers might not try to be pigeons, they usually end up being one without trying. I think this is a big part of understanding different countries and without travelers, it would be very hard to understand others' cultures. My favorite quote of this passage is the first sentence "We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves". I choose this quote because this is exactly why i travel. It brings my eyes to new things and brings more knowledge to my brain. Traveling also opens me up to different cultures and teaches me to accept customs that are different than mine. And, whenever you travel is when the true you comes out in everyone. You cannot hide what you are really like when you are in close quarters with people for weeks of time. Travel is what reveals who the real you is and there is no other way to do so.

About Me

My name is Arnaud Laroche-Bataille and i was born in Montreal Canada. I have one older brother who is a freshman in college and live with both my parents in Grayslake. I enjoy to play sports and like to hang out with friends outside of school. I wish to attend Standford University and major in some kind of engineering for a career. I am very excited for this Australia trip and hopefully will be able to GO this year.
I signed up for this trip because i love to travel. When i get older I want to keep on traveling the world and discover new places. This trip seemed like a fun experience to be able to travel around the world and see a new culture. Australia will definitely be a very different place then Grayslake Illinois and hopefully will be a fun experience. I cannot wait to try the food, go scuba diving, and see new landmarks in Australia.
In traveling abroad i hope to learn about a new culture. I also want to see for myself what the other side of the world really looks like. I've never been outside North America and i hope this experience is a fun one. I also hope to meet new people and discuss about their life experiences. Meeting new people always brings interesting stories that will last a lifetime. I hope this trip will be one that i will not soon forget.
I have always wanted to see the Great Barrier Reef for myself and this trip to Australia gives me just that opportunity. I also want to see kangaroos and other interesting wildlife that will be located in Australia. The ocean in Australia from pictures also seems like a very beautiful place and probably much better when you are actually there. Lastly, i really want to try the exotic foods that they may offer in Australia that are not offered here in the USA.
Learning before you go helps a person know what they are going to see and be able to grasp everything when you are there. Without learning before you go, it is hard to take in everything all at once and the learning experience will not be as great. But, preparing yourself for what is going to happen will allow everyone to not only have a good time but also be able to have a good learning experience. Also, just going somewhere maybe will not allow a person to actually learn about Australia. But, learning then going will make sure that not only does the student enjoy but also learns something about Australia.