The Art of Vacation
by Drew Kolar
For many people of the world, traveling is a passion. Some travel for business, but many more go on the prowl for pleasure. As soon as that ever-anticipated week off from work comes up on the calendar, troves of employees drop their suits and ties, their pens and paperwork, and hop on a plane, train, bus or car to migrate to their favorite destination. Since most of the vacation time is spent lounging around, however, it is easy to forget the constant art that surrounds you on your venture away from the stress of life.
As I write this, I am on the yearly family vacation to Nantucket, MA, surrounded by the beginnings of the annual Nantucket Film Festival. Once a year, during one of the weekends that we venture to the island getaway off the coast of Cape Cod, hoards of movie stars and fans flock to the island to watch films and eat at top-end restaurants. While this is not the reason that my family comes to the island, we also partake in some of the events-I was the first of all my friends to see the movie Garden State before it hit theaters a few years ago.
It seems to me that when most people go on vacation, it is not for a cultural experience. Most go on vacation to drink away the thoughts of their day jobs and lie on a beach, completely ignoring the fact that they may be somewhere more "exotic" than they realize. Why not stop and take a look around for once? Especially when traveling to somewhere you have always known, it is very hard to notice the difference in the culture and in the surroundings of home, save a few face-value aspects such as palm trees and sand. Nantucket, while filled with high-class, high-spending celebrities, also has a historic whaling community hidden within its shores. There is even a museum dedicated to the all-but-defunct culture that is in desperate need of re-discovery.
As a matter of fact, even though most vacationers shun the idea of an educational trip, sometimes it is interesting to at least peek your head into a museum or an art gallery, just to get an idea of your surroundings. Believe it or not, at least in Nantucket, there are galleries dedicated to artwork depicting the surrounding areas and the beauty of nature. And you're not even required to buy anything! One of my favorite pastimes on the island, besides barhopping, is to pop into a gallery or two to check out the local art.
Another great idea for vacation is to go somewhere completely foreign to the day-to-day life that you may lead. I have never been much of a fan of the sun and choose instead to venture to not-so-usual cities, such as Nantucket, in search of a different cultural experience from the crazy streets of New York City. Since lying in the sun is not part of the schedule, it leaves more time to poke around and learn the life of the locals. This is not everyone's idea of a vacation, but mixing things up a bit never hurt anyone, right?
One of the biggest aspects of vacation, however, just as in art, is the idea of releasing emotions and calming down after a hard day/week/month/year of life. Art is a release for many artists, and enjoying the art is generally an equal release for the audience. As a matter of fact, unintentional exposure to art is a big part of a vacation - be it the music you listen to on the beach or the architecture of the hotel or house you may be renting. One of the most important aspects of being on a vacation spot is the aesthetic planning that goes into the overall outcome of the vacationer's experience. If you look at a picture of New England, you can see that the preservation of classic architecture is mainly there to attract visitors from around the world. Anyone can lie on a beach, drinking a Piņa Colada, but it takes a true appreciator of art and culture to really enjoy the beauty of a week spent on a relaxing, sensory-pleasing vacation.
