I love history. And I also believe that learning the history of destinations that I visit adds another level of excitement, adventure, and overall appreciation to the trips.
But I get it. History was probably NOT not everyone’s favorite subject in school. Most students dread the endless hours of mindlessly memorizing dates, trying to keep straight all of the Kings, Popes, and dictators that shaped the modern world.
If you know you don’t like history, it can be hard to fathom how old people from a time long ago could have such an impact on your life. Especially the way that history is taught – rote memorization, completely removing the human element from all of the lessons taught.
Did you know that something really boring happened to someone really ugly in the middle ages?
Rachel Green, FRIENDS
And I was like that until my junior year in high school, when a clever history teacher decided to tell our class a story. It wasn’t until about halfway through the class that I realized I was sitting on the edge of my seat, craving to know how the story ended.
What?
Yup, I was that kid. And I still am.
Like it or not, learning the history of destinations when you travel is a practical way to help bring that history alive. Relevant. Dare I say…exciting?
And the best part? It doesn’t feel like history class. When you travel, you learn the history of destinations through food. Dance. Simply walking around and talking to locals. It’s easy and painless, even to the most anti-history person out there. Because, let’s face it. Learning about a destination is part of travel.
So to all of you who want to enrich your travels, here are 5 reasons why you should learn the history of destinations before you leave on your adventure.
#1: LEARNING THE HISTORY OF DESTINATIONS HELPS YOU CONNECT WITH LOCALS
We all learned about World War II. It’s a fact. But what about the more recent history? Elections. Sports. Social events. Current events. Taking the time to browse through news articles and programs helped me establish friendships with locals when I studied abroad in Germany.
Since I knew a little bit more than the average tourist (not a lot, mind you), I was able to carry on intelligent conversations with the locals that I met. Sure, we started out with the courtesy: where are you from, what do you do, etc. But it was able to evolve from there.
I definitely wasn’t a walking Wikipedia or news station, but I had learned enough about the history of the destination to allow me to feel less like an outsider. Someone who was generally taking an interest in a location.
Think about it. When you get introduced to your significant other’s family, do you not do a little bit of homework (or Facebook stalking) beforehand? Do you ask your SO about each person, for a little background? So when you meet them, you can have something to talk about?
And the point isn’t to be a show-off-know-it-all and a walking Jeopardy champion just spewing out information. It’s about being able to connect with people on a deeper level.
#2: EVERYTHING YOU LEARN BEFORE YOUR TRIP HELPS GIVE A PLACE CONTEXT
As you drive around the island of St. Thomas right now (2021), you might be put off by all of the closed businesses. Hotels and resorts that are in disrepair. Roads that can be a little pothole-riddled. But with a little research into the history of the destination, you’ll learn that the island has not been able to fully bounce back after the 2017 hurricanes.
Although it’s not pleasant to witness, knowing the history helps you understand why things are they way they are. And it also hopefully tugs at your heartstrings and drives you to learn more about how to help, not pity a location.
#3: YOU UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE BETTER WHEN YOU LEARN THE HISTORY OF DESTINATIONS
Did you know that most of the older community in Bucharest, Romania, speak quietly, even in the comfort of their own homes? Learning about the history of communism within Romania would tell you why (in a nutshell – people were encouraged to snoop on their neighbors to the secret police).
As Americans, we have certain liberties and the freedom of speech that are so far ingrained into who we are and how we act, it can be difficult for people outside of our culture to fully grasp. These invisible cultural nuances can sometimes be tricky to pick up on without learning the history of the destination prior to visiting.
How does a certain culture eat? Are they punctual at a certain location? What qualifies as reverence or respect?
History and contemporary culture are inextricably intertwined. History shapes the values and cultures of a destination and are important enough to give it appropriate attention.
#4: LEARNING THE HISTORY OF DESTINATIONS TURNS YOU INTO A BETTER TRAVELER AND STORY TELLER
Have you ever talked to a friend who returned from an enviable vacation, and asked them what they did? And then were disappointed by what they had to say? Either they couldn’t tell you more about the location or just repeated how beautiful the spots were.
Yawn.
When you travel, learning the history of destinations is part of being a citizen of the world. We travel to learn, to grow, and to become better people.
#5: CHEEKILY, EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU GET TO SHOW OFF
Okay, so when I was creating this list, I originally only included 4 reasons you should learn the history of destinations. But then I remembered my trip to Boston, Massachusetts, back in 2018.
I was so excited to finally visit this part of the country as an adult and geek out at as many historical sites as possible. You see, I had studied the colonial history of the US in depth as part of my time in college and, as part of bringing history to life, I wanted to actually see these places I studied.
I signed up to take a tour along the Freedom Trail, along with 30 of my closest friends, apparently.
We reached the Granary Burial Ground and learned that people like Paul Revere, John Hancock, and all 5 Boston Massacre victims were interred there. Our tour guide stopped us in front of the large headstone column of John Hancock, and asked if we knew how he earned his money.
After she gave us the tell-tale clue (well, at least in my mind) that he earned it the “old-fashioned way,” people started yelling out the typical answers you would expect from people that spent most of the trip mansplaining to me.
“Trade!”
“Bootlegging!” (who let that guy in here?)
“Black market!”
Then our guide looked me dead in the eye as I supplied the correct answer:
“He inherited it.”
That wiped the grin off of the other group members’ faces fast. Who would have thought the solo female traveler in the group wearing hot pink pants would be smart?
What are your thoughts about learning the history of destinations? Are you a history buff?
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