Why do we travel, 3

[I'm writing this late in the evening of December 28, but back-dating it to shortly after my and Marie's return from Paris. I hope this won't be too confusing. I also hope that I can finally wrap up this string of post-Paris essays before the New Year … and maybe tonight!]

The morning of Day 4, Marie started musing as we woke up. Why do we travel? She suggested that there is a natural desire to share with others. (As an aside, she added that this is why we condemn misers.) But when it comes to travel, in particular, this means we have a natural desire to meet other people and to interact with them.

So, for example, her memory of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries from our outing on Day 3 will always be enhanced by her memory of the school group there, and of the teacher gently asking them questions for an hour. (And in fact, by the end of Day 4 I'd had a similar idea about having shared with her the tour of the Clos Montmartre Vineyards.)

There's even precedent for this view of travel. After all, Homer tells us of Odysseus that πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω—"he saw the cities of many men, and he knew their minds." It's very much the same kind of idea.

But in that case, what does it mean that (according to D, more than a decade ago) I spend so much of my life "hiding"? Does it make me a miser? Does it mean I am violating some basic natural desire?

Marie said she hadn't meant it that way. Also, if that's the way I took her remarks, they would have to include herself as well. We discussed it a little more while we got ready for the day, but didn't come to any further conclusions.

See also the earlier posts on this topic, here and here.