Wondering where to go on your next long road trip, near or far?
You could get some ideas this afternoon at the Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show at the EY Centre, where author Patricia Schultz is giving a talk at 2:30pm.
I had the chance to hear her speak about her travels at a lunch yesterday, and she really is inspiring. The author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and 1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die has sold more than 4 million copies of her books, and it’s not surprising; her enthusiasm about travel is infectious.
Patricia Schultz speaking at a lunch hosted by Trafalgar, a guided tour company.
“At the very least, it recharges you,” she told the gathering of travel agents and bloggers.
As for some people’s worries about travelling in times of political chaos, she added, “I think now, more than ever, it’s important to travel.” She believes the benefits of encountering new people, foods, landscapes and ideas outweigh the hassles, risks and costs of travel.
Regarding the costs, she urges travellers to dream big and to set money aside for travel.. “I think if you can dream a trip, you can make it happen. It’s about priorities.”
As a spokesperson for Trafalgar, a guided tour company, she explained the advantages of using such a tour. She had long prided herself on organizing her own trips and was very skeptical of travelling with a tour company, but her first trip with Trafalgar—to Vienna, Prague and Budapest—won her over. As well as enjoying the luxury of “just showing up,” without having to research and organize the whole vacation, she enjoyed the special experiences the company was able to arrange, such as a visit to a third-generation vintner in Vienna.
Finally, what about the titles of her books, which one bookstore executive warned her would never sell because they were too depressing? She laughed. “It’s not about dying. It’s about living.”