Answers: Travel

Today I'm back to answering questions asked in response to my Your Turn post.  Our topic?  Travel, one of my favorite things to do--in Iowa!  We'll also cover languages and general knowledge of the world.

Anonymous asks: What do Americans know about Europe? What do you learn at school only geography connected with continent or others, too?

I was homeschooled, and I learned a lot of European history.  The history of Europe is the history of Western Civilization, so it was very important in my studies.  

Most of my history books took the story-line of civilization back to the first European immigrants to the New World with a focus on the United States. Before the 1500-1600s, the story is focused on Western Europe.  Further back it focuses on the Holy Roman Empire, then (progressing backward in time) Rome, Israel, the Greeks, Persians, Babylonians, Egyptians, and the Fertile Crescent.  

Current events and politics in Europe and in general, internationally, are topics we Americans have a little more trouble with, because our news sources are very um... self-centered!  But, I try to keep up, and I know others do too.

Ashley asks: Have you ever been to another country? If so, which one? 
No, not yet.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Carrie asks: If you could go anywhere in the world - where would you go & why?

Mildred asks: If you could travel any where, where would you go and why? 
I wrote about this in February of last year in this post.  My thoughts have not changed at all...so I will copy my response here.  I'm assuming this is an expenses-paid trip.

Let's start our journey with Thailand, where my mother was born.  We'll visit the beautiful white sand beaches in the south, stop by to see my cousins in Bangkok, and then head up to Lamphun, a province in Northern Thailand where my grandfather worked farming rice with oxen, and which, it is said, his ancestors once ruled.  

After enjoying our fill of sunshine in the land of smiles, we can visit the United Kingdom.  Scotland, Ireland, and England are places from which many of my progenitors hailed, so we can visit cemeteries and see the beautiful land where they walked.  If by any chance we get tired of visiting cemeteries, I'm told London has its attractions.  Hopefully it will be foggy just like in all the old movies, and we'll stumble upon the answer to a long-unsolved mystery.  

Steamboat Rock cemetery.  (Photo from this post.)

Next, we'll journey to Germany and see Colditz Castle where the most ingenious re-captured escapees and troublemaking U.S. POWs were held during World War 2.  We'll tour other castles, cathedrals, museums, and palaces, and surprise my cousins there (one of my cousins married a German and lives there--my not-as-numerous Dutch, German, and/or Austrian ancestors are way back: so chances are I won't find any of their graves). 

Finally, we'll head to Venice, Italy, to find out if it's really as fascinating a city as it's famed to be.  We'll try some authentic Italian food--pizza, lasagna, and fettucini!

If we're not too exhausted after that, we can visit Spain and perhaps Peru, so I can practice my Spanish!

Anonymous asks: Where did you learn Spanish and which level do you think you have achieved until now?

I first took Spanish in home-school/high-school.  Then I studied it on my own from books and on busuu.com.  I read through several books of the Bible in Spanish, and I also spent hours chatting with native Spanish speakers online and talking on Skype.  But that was years ago.

At present, I can read Spanish and understand it tolerably well.  I can listen to it and understand a little, but pitifully little.  And, unfortunately, my speaking skills are hardly better than my listening skills.  

Enrique Bracamonte asks: Which is, in your opinion, one of the most beautiful States in the USA?
Iowa.  I'm totally unbiased. ;)

Anonymous says: I'd like to know how many States do you visit in the USA, and if there is one of them that you would like to visit.

I've visited 21 states, so if I visit one more before my next birthday, I will have a state for every year of my life.

As to which one I'd like to visit... how about Hawaii in the middle of January?  On the more practical side, my 22nd state will probably be one bordering a state I've already visited.  

See post on visiting my 21st state: Illinois.

Anonymous asks: Hi, Bethany, which in your opinion is the most beautiful city in your country, and where can you find the best cooking art? Have you traveled a lot, and what city or town do you like the most?

I don't know where you can find the best cooking art.  It's a big country, and I haven't been anywhere on the East Coast.

You can see the extent of my travels over my lifetime above.  I've traveled some, but not a lot--and many of my travels were done when I was quite young.

I like Wellsburg, Iowa the best because it is a nice small town. The people are friendly. I recognize the faces and can wave at the drivers in other cars...and they'll wave back!  I consider it my hometown.

Martha asks: If you could go back in time, what period would you visit? 

Let's try a short visit to each century.  I wouldn't want to stay long in any of them because life was so hard...but with short visits I could learn a lot of forgotten history...and write a whole series of interesting posts!

Thanks to all who asked!

How would you answer these questions?