As anyone who has done some traveling knows, there is a big difference between studying history and visiting a historical date. Most people remember their history classes as being a difficult and bewildering jumble of dates, facts, and figures. Thus they may be somewhat reluctant to visit a place that caused them so much trouble in school.
However, besides the obvious and much-discussed benefits as travel of any sort, travel to historical sites is wonderful for a multitude of reasons. Michael Canzian is one among many popular figures to have made a point of visiting many historical sites and expounding on the benefits of doing so. Here are some reasons why you should follow his example and go to places with history if you have the opportunity.
History Becomes Real
No one can deny that studying history makes it somewhat abstract and unreal. But when you visit a place where something world-changing took place, you bring that event to life for yourself. By looking at a famous battlefield or building, you understand a little better the implications and grandeur of the history that shaped it and the world we know today.
Worth of the Sites
One of the benefits of visiting a place renowned for some piece of history there is that it reminds you of its worth. That event, whatever it was, is now a part of history because it carried some sort of importance for mankind. The value of the event bestows a value on the place where it happened, and so that place deserves a certain amount of respect and care. It is irreplaceable and precious.
Perspective
Even the study of history from books can help you gain a certain perspective on the world around you. You begin to see everything about you as part of a bigger story. How much more, then, can actually going to the places where that piece of humanity’s tale was acted teach you about the race as a whole, and even how you fit into that picture? Trips into history give you an insight that history books just can’t bestow.
These are just a few of the many reasons why it’s important to preserve and travel to historical sites. Whether it be the Great Pyramids, Omaha Beach, or Mexico City, each historical site is a piece of the great puzzle that is man’s story. By visiting those pieces, you come to a greater understanding of the world as it was and is, and on your place in that world.