Why Europe?

I live in Gyeongju, South Korea. I've lived in Korea for 5 years now. In that time, I have only ever traveled to one neighboring country - Japan, and I've only had money/time for one trip home. My co-workers always seem to be jetting off to Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and other Asian countries, to swim in pristine looking waterfall-laden swimming holes, to drink beautiful-looking drinks and eat beautiful-looking mangoes, visit ancient temples and basically live the good life. These vacations cost them a mere fraction of what I will likely end up spending to fly to and enjoy Europe. So why Europe? Why not 'love the one you're with' and travel Asia? Here are my reasons, but you can feel free to tell me if/why you disagree in the comments.

1. ART - Seeing the great European artworks has always been one of my main motivations for traveling to Europe. I have always been a fan of impressionism, expressionism, and symbolist art. However, I'm also interested in many individual artists from older traditions, including Albrecht Dürer, Francisco de Goya, Peter Brueghel, and, of course, Leonardo da Vinci. Though there is some Western art in Seoul, there is nothing on the scale of what's available in Europe, not to mention the art in situ - art that was created for a specific building/location, such as the works of Gustav Klimt in Vienna. I admire Asian art, but I grew up with Western art. My cultural context allows me to decode Western art much more easily than I can read the cultural signs in Asian art, not to mention the fact that I can't even read the literal signs under the paintings in Korea, which often lack English even for the title. (Yeah - I'm one of those information-plaque-readers at the museum). I long to connect to the great works I've seen from a distance all my life. I dream of seeing Claude Monet's waterlilies at L'Orangerie (and his garden at Giverny), Leonardo da Vinci's "Virgin of the Rocks" at the Louvre, and Albrecht Dürer's "Young Hare" at the Albertina in Vienna, along with so many others.

You can see Gustav Klimt's work in situ on these wall panels at the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna, as well as on the ceiling at the Burgtheater. By Culturawiki (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

2. BEAUTIFUL CITIES - I love nature, but I also love cities. Specifically: beautiful, clean, architecturally diverse, quirky, pedestrian-friendly cities. Korea is still playing catch-up on many of these counts. While there has definitely been progress towards more green space even in the short time I've lived here, (Busan just added several new parks, for example), a normal day's walk in Korea will generally include dodging scooters and even cars on the sidewalks, spitting on the sidewalk, few to no garbage cans, and a certain sameness. Korean buildings have a tendency to be tall and utilitarian, perhaps due to the country's quick development into an economic power. Though I'm not under the illusion that Europe is perfect, I do know that many of the city centers are very livable, with cobbled streets, architecture in a wide range of styles and periods, quaint little shops, and pedestrian-only quarters. There are also beautiful places in much of Southeast Asia, but I've also heard from friends about wild traffic that makes Korea's scooter and car traffic sound downright peaceful. What I want is a full rest.

One of Europe's many pedestrian-only zones looks peaceful and inviting! "Strøget, Copenhagen" by Olga Itenberg - originally posted to Flickr as IMG_9995.jpg. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Str%C3%B8get,_Copenhagen.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Str%C3%B8get,_Copenhagen.jpg

3. USING MY LANGUAGES - I speak intermediate French, intermediate Spanish and beginning level German.  I want to use my languages in their native environment. It's like I've been rehearsing all these years for a performance and I'm ready to finally go on stage.

4. VEGAN/GREEN CULTURE - Europe, especially Germany, seems to have a growing awareness towards vegan and green culture. I'm eager to explore what they have to offer. See my previous post about Europe's awesome grocery stores! http://jensroadtoeurope.blogspot.kr/2014/07/eco-europe-green-grocery-stores.html

5. LIBERALISM - I want to be somewhere where I can sunbathe topless and it's not a big deal. I want to be somewhere where kissing in public isn't considered uncouth. I want to attend wild street festivals and funky late night flea markets. Other than a very high tolerance for drinking (which I'm not into) Korea is a conservative culture, as are many of its Asian neighbors, and I am not a conservative person. I want the antidote.

At the Englischer Garten in Munich, people can sunbathe and swim with clothes or without (in designated areas - do check first!) The garden is, moreover, one of the world's largest public parks, at 1.4 square miles it is larger than Central Park in New York. Photo creative commons by Marcio Cabral de Moura https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcdemoura/

6. THE HEAD START FACTOR - Finally, I just have an overall head start on Europe. I have a fair idea about its general history and an active interest in World War II history. I have a good amount of knowledge about European languages, culture and geography. I have a way to put Europe into a context. When I travel, it is primarily cultural sites which interest me. Maybe this is a product of my upbringing - our usual family vacations were to Civil War battlefields, presidential houses, and museums. Might sound boring to some, but I have very fond memories of these early trips, which were enriched by having some interest in U.S. history and some background knowledge of what we were seeing. To go to Thailand, Vietnam, Laos or even China and Japan, I'd find it necessary to do a whole lot of research in advance so I could have some context. It's not that I don't enjoy just relaxing on a beach, and, in fact, I hope to relax on some beaches while in Germany. However, I'd also like to understand the language being spoken around me at the beach, and I'd like to know something about the castle or museum I'm going to visit the next day.

My family on one of our many, fondly-remembered, nerdy vacations, circa 1993 or so - this time at George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. Check out our tourist garb, which I thought was very sophisticated at the time, believe it or not!

In the end, we all travel for our own reasons. Some people just want a break or a rest. Others want a party. Some people want to go somewhere none of their friends have ever been (or maybe even heard of). Others feel more comfortable at a popular resort area. Some people want to shop. Others want to hike or camp. Me, I want to see art, deepen my understanding of history, enjoy the good life (cafes, good food, pleasant walks, lovely scenery), and speak the language. For me, Europe is my perfect fit, and it's worth the sacrifice of 4 trips to Thailand or 2 to Japan to finally get there. 

What about you? Why do you travel? Do you prefer to visit places with which you're already familiar or to try something new? Please feel free to share in the comments!