Taste of the Ocean

Something interesting that came up in class yesterday was yet again the issue of traveling versus reading. Heather brought up the idea that unless you've actually experienced being by the ocean and tasting the salt in the air, you can never really imagine what this experience is like. The class had various opinions on this topic, some saying that it's possible and others not. I also have mixed views on the subject. In some way, I agree with Heather. I've been to the ocean, and experienced the taste and texture of the salty ocean air. It's a unique experience, and if I hadn't experienced it before, I think it might be hard to replicate in words. Some things are too unique to be described in words. However, on the other hand, there's a part of me that believes that books can describe things in such amazing detail that experience alone cannot. Some people don't have the opportunity to travel and experience everything, so books are the only way they can identify with those experiences. No doubt the experience they get by reading will be different from the real thing, but it can be just as powerful. It seems to me like reading and using your imagination to develop the experience takes more effort and more creativity than just experiencing it alone. You have to imagine and go into your own world and develop your own perception of something that will surely be unlike anything anyone else has imagined. So, it can actually be more rewarding.