The Beauty of Vacation Anticipation
Juliana Farrington is a guest contributor and Public Service Associate at Bexley Public Library.
A reel of images pass through my mind of a recent trip to California. A picturesque bungalow on Electric Avenue a couple blocks from Venice Beach, breakfast sandwiches beneath palm trees, a booth at the Formosa where Elvis once ate. Then it was over in a flash.
Fortunately, LA is a particularly literary city. Reading allowed me to arrive early and stay late. A vacation starts the second I pull up the library catalog. As my book stack grows, anticipation builds. In The Happy Traveler, Jaime Kurtz suggests, “Know enough to get excited.” She says, “Planning and researching are part of the fun.” Reserve guidebooks, cookbooks, anthologies, novels set in your destination, and books by authors connected to the location.
Kurtz notes that “movies, television shows, and books can’t help but be deeply influenced by the culture from which they emerged, giving you an entertaining glimpse into the people and places you’ll soon encounter.” Reading even a single book can add depth to your experience. I gained insight into Hollywood and the film industry from Zeroville. I recognized street names from Ask the Dust. The Library Book impacted how I experienced a charred trail in Malibu. Books have the potential to unlock excitement, to help you understand a place in ways you never expected.I’m back home, and the song “Electric Avenue" plays in my head, a sign that I’m not ready to let go of vacation. I read excerpts from Dear Los Angeles and imagine the scent of waffle cones drifting dreamily through an open window like I'm still around the corner from Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
Step inside the Bexley Public Library and let us help you extend your next vacation.