Australia, New Zealand, and America

When a person first thinks of Australia, New Zealand, and America one first begins to count all the ways in which the three countries are different. Truth be told however there are several similarities between the three countries which are often overlooked. For instance all three countries gained their independent from Britain, and all three countries wished to have a republic type government. Now although the way the three countries went about gaining independence was different fact is all three countries have very similar backgrounds. Australia, New Zealand, and America fought for their Independence, all in different ways, and their cultures may be vastly different but they two have many similarities.

Its was on January 18th 1788 when a traveler from Britain first claim the island of Australia for his country and deemed it suitable for a penal colony. But his authorities thought otherwise as the bay was to dangerous the supplier of fresh water was to low. Thus the colony instead became a slave and soon a prison colony were Britain sent its outcasts.(culture.gov.au) Seeming to be doomed by its early history Australia, first was an outcasts island were no man wished to travel and only convicts were welcome. In fact when Australia did eventually rise and become its own power outside convict imprisonment, it stilled did not want a new life for itself. Britain had to nearly force Independence onto the people of Australia. For Australia throughout the years had gotten used to depending on Britain and now that Britain was willing to let go Australia was not.(thecheers.org)

An odd way indeed to gains one's Independence, not nearly as radical as America's way to break away from Britain. Just like Australia the U.S. was first established by Britain and it was only by gaining our Independence that we became our own country. Unlike Australia however we were not a slave or convict colony, but rather a normal colony made of free people. So when the U.S. tried to declare their freedom form Britain Britain would hear nothing of it. We were an investment Britain was not willing to loss, thus we went to war with Britain to gain our Independence.

Again this was not the case for New Zealand Independence. Just like both the U.S. and Australia New Zealand started out as a British colony. Only New Zealand way of becoming independent was neither an act of war or force upon them. Rather New Zealand slowly gained independence through its evolving continual status, where slowly it acted more and more apart from Britain until it finally simply was not a part of Britain. (wikipedia) Now that doesn't go to say that New Zealand is without British influence from time to time, but it is its own country now. If fact even in times of complete chaos such as the tragic earthquakes that hit New Zealand recently killing 113, Britain shows little interest.(time magazine)

This is how Australia, New Zealand, and America share the same history. By being connected with Britain in the way that they are the three very different countries find common ground. It really all is quite interesting to think of how ones life would be different if Britain had chosen the U.S. as their convict colony or if Britain never found us at all.

why we travel

Why do i chose to travel? Well there are several reasons why i chose to travel. One being the fact that traveling is so much fun. No matter where i go i always seen to be able to find some enjoyment out of it. Swimming in a new place,tasting a new food,finding a new treasure, these are all fun things to do as we travel. In fact if traveling wasn't fun i don't think i would do it at all, but that is just the thing traveling is always fun, or at least for me. Lyer being a great traveler himself may disagree with my thoughts,Lyer seems to think traveling is only just for fun. Lyer says the traveler travels to get away from himself and to find himself. Confusing? Yes, but i get what he is saying we travel to test our character and test what type of person we our. And in that respect i guess i agree i too love to travel to test my limits, i simply just have a great time while testing myself.
You see every time i travel i want to experience new things, i want to go on a new adventure, that is what traveling means to me. As Lyer put it i like to see the world through "new eyes". Every time people travel they have a tendency to compare and contrast everything. "This place is nice but that one is better," type deal. Well i hate when people do that, because i believe it is a foolish idea to ever compare and contrast. The two things are not the same thus trying to compare them is nothing more then a waste of time. People when traveling need to get out of their comfort zones and take what they experience as a unique substance all its own. When we travel we should take everything for what it is, see everything with "new eyes". That is what i think Lyer was tyring to say, and i agree with him.
We as traveler need to step outside our own personal bubbles. The world can not fit into our bubble, no we must step outside in order to see the world for what it truly is. Lyer says "what gives value to travel is fear," this by all means is truth. If a traveler near steps out of his comfort zone to experience the world he or she will never truly traveler the world. It is that slight fear of tasting a new food and not knowing what its flavors are that make a new treat so deilious. It is the fear of failing at something new that make mastering it so rewarding. This is how fear makes ones travels have value.
It is not fear alone which brings value and worth to traveling however. Several means bring a true adventure to an end. Another thing the traveler consistently forgets is he or she is not traveling only for themselves but for the the place they travel to also. What i mean by this is the traveler must be as Lyer put it, "a carrier pigeon", something that both carriers with it something from where it came and back from whence it traveled. A traveler can not expect to take as much as they want from a place unless they to are willing to give. A traveler a mean to say must learn as much as he can from the new world he visits and in exchange let the new world know about him.
As Lyer put it, "even those who don't move around the world find the world moving around them", for the travelers of the world can it as they go through it. This quote tells the tell of a city block becoming a neighborhood in America, of a tower gone famous in France, this quote shows how the traveler has change the world. If the traveler had only taken from the places he had visited then those places would no longer be beautiful, but because the traveler gave and traded his experiences he has forever enhanced the beauty of the world. This is why people travel, why i travel. I want to not only test myself and have fun but also learn and share my knowledge with the world.

Me and my travels

This is not my first trip out of the country, or even the first time taking a class which involves visiting and learning about a different country. Hi my name is Ty Malone and this is my blog about my adventure to Australia and New Zealand. I'm a sophomore this year and just like last year I'm participating in the travelers class my school has to offer.
Last year's trip to china was awesome, and because i had such a good time last year i wanted to go somewhere again this year. Ive always loved traveling and visiting new places, even when i was a little kid the dark Forrest around the neighborhood were not scary, but rather a chance at adventure. Thus I'm not really the type to get nervous about visiting a new country. In fact ever since i was about four years old Ive always asked my mom if i could go with her on her trips. You see my mom travels all the time for work and i always love to hear her stories when she gets back. It use to make me so jealous to hear about all the different places she has been, but now thanks to this trip i get to go somewhere even my mom hasn't been. Australia and New Zealand get ready because here i come.
I can not wait till we leave for Australia, honestly I'm excited even just thinking about it now. Every time we have class and learn about Australia's history or what it is like over there i get more and more excited to go. I want to learn everything about Australia and New Zealand i can before the trip. Whats it like there? Do the people there live normal lives like in the U.S.? Or do they live a more excited lifestyle? Whats the average Joe do for fun? All these questions and much more fill my mind whenever i think about going to Australia and New Zealand. While I'm traveling i don't want to just another tourist their to see the sights, i want to be a part of the experience while there.
Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying things like the great barrier reef aren't incredibly fascinating to me. Its just I'm not going to Australia and New Zealand just to see sights and claim to the world Ive been their. Anyone can look up pictures of all kinds of sights, but the true part of traveling is not seeing sights but be a part of them. While in Australia i want to be able to swim with the fishes not beside them, i want to jump with the kangaroo next watch him jump. You know what i mean? What I'm tyring to say is, while traveling abroad i hope to be a part of Australia and New Zealand live the experience.
And in order to do that live the experience, one first must understand what that experience is. That is why i love this class. This class is perfect in the way it prepares everyone for the trip ahead. By learning about China for instance last year i was able to enjoy it so much more. Take something like the giant wall of china for instances, at first the only thought that occurs to ones mind is the simple amazement the wall brings, but learn your history and the great wall becomes so much more. The great wall of china was not built to show off China's power, no it was built to protect china and its people, the sad thing about it however was thousands died in construction of the wall. The very wall which was so post to protect the people toke the very same people's lives. Knowing this small fact alone changed the experience of seeing the great wall of china. This is how learning before experiencing changes and enhances the trip.