What is this blog about?
Hello there. I'm Shawn Granton. And I like to travel. A lot.
I have another blog out there, actually over here. That blog is about the Urban Adventure League, fun explorations of Portland, Oregon. This blog is more personal, concentrating on my own adventures in and away from the City of Roses.
In this blog you'll find travelogues, observations, and musings of the various trips I take. I'll be updating this thing generally when traveling, less so when I'm home. Since going away means sporadic email and internet access, don't expect posts to happen daily. And since going away also means actually getting out there and experiencing the world. don't think I'm going to want to be stuck behind a computer that often!
Why the name "Temporary Relocation Project"?
I look at travel differently than most. Rather than dealing with airlines, hotels, package deals, and the typical touristy destinations, I like to get beneath the surface of the places I visit, and experience things on a more visceral level. I don't want to be a tourist. I want to integrate myself with the places I find myself in.
In a conversation with a friend recently, he mentioned how most "travel culture", no matter how hip and cool it may be, is still parasitic. People travel from place to place, wanting the place to "entertain" them. Everything becomes a commodity, fun is purchased, and the visitor does nothing for the places he or she visits. I don't want to be like that. I want to have a positive experience with travel, and give back to the places that give to me.
I came up with the term "Temporary Relocation Project" to describe my last major trip. I spent two months traveling through the southwest this past winter, with one full month spent solely in Tucson, Arizona. I wasn't just traveling, I was actually relocating my life to a different locale, albeit for a short, fixed set of time. And that's how I view my travels: I'm living somewhere else, but temporary. My life doesn't stop because I'm away from home!
In the coming weeks you can read about my preparations for my upcoming trip, and then the trip itself. Check the next post for the trip description and itinerary.
And thanks for reading!
I have another blog out there, actually over here. That blog is about the Urban Adventure League, fun explorations of Portland, Oregon. This blog is more personal, concentrating on my own adventures in and away from the City of Roses.
In this blog you'll find travelogues, observations, and musings of the various trips I take. I'll be updating this thing generally when traveling, less so when I'm home. Since going away means sporadic email and internet access, don't expect posts to happen daily. And since going away also means actually getting out there and experiencing the world. don't think I'm going to want to be stuck behind a computer that often!
Why the name "Temporary Relocation Project"?
I look at travel differently than most. Rather than dealing with airlines, hotels, package deals, and the typical touristy destinations, I like to get beneath the surface of the places I visit, and experience things on a more visceral level. I don't want to be a tourist. I want to integrate myself with the places I find myself in.
In a conversation with a friend recently, he mentioned how most "travel culture", no matter how hip and cool it may be, is still parasitic. People travel from place to place, wanting the place to "entertain" them. Everything becomes a commodity, fun is purchased, and the visitor does nothing for the places he or she visits. I don't want to be like that. I want to have a positive experience with travel, and give back to the places that give to me.
I came up with the term "Temporary Relocation Project" to describe my last major trip. I spent two months traveling through the southwest this past winter, with one full month spent solely in Tucson, Arizona. I wasn't just traveling, I was actually relocating my life to a different locale, albeit for a short, fixed set of time. And that's how I view my travels: I'm living somewhere else, but temporary. My life doesn't stop because I'm away from home!
In the coming weeks you can read about my preparations for my upcoming trip, and then the trip itself. Check the next post for the trip description and itinerary.
And thanks for reading!
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