The most effective way humans can connect with and understand one another is, arguably, through a shared experience. If you have ever read a novel that detailed a personal experience or an awakening you resonated with, then you’re probably aware of the intricate emotional connection that literature can evoke.
Narratives, featuring trying or thought-provoking journeys as a plot basis, can be highly inspirational. Readers may find themselves yearning for that experience, usually to better understand themselves or reality as a whole. Mimicking literary works — or aspects of them — in real-life can also provide insights into the author’s point-of-view, deepening that connection that transcends time and space.
There are several works that leave bread crumb trails throughout North America. Americans of all types from various walks of life and time periods have documented their road trips. Readers can “act out” these experiences or recreate the same routes from the pages of a book.
You can follow a group of 1960’s hippies in an almost 11,000-mile eclectic journey across North America — Don’t forget to bring your passport for crossing both Mexican and Canadian borders. Or, if you love The Great Gatsby, you may want to replicate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s drive from Connecticut to Alabama. Try to imagine what you might have seen in 1920. Then picture your trip through Fitzgerald’s eye for elegance and flair.
Long story short — no pun intended— take your reading to the next level by bringing the story to life! Whether you cruise with your family or ride solo, enacting iconic literary road trips across America will yield a new perspective — with regard to the book and your life. This infographic from CarRentals will give you some ideas to start your next excursion.
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