Nowhere New

Recalling the planning of my graduation trip to Washington DC, I’m thinking about how trip planning has changed. For most places people will visit, someone has been there before. And if it’s any sort of popular place, someone has documented their visit and posted about it online. You can find YouTube videos of far flung parts of North Korea or summiting of K2.

On a recent trip, I was able to check out inside of hotel rooms on TripAdvisor or YouTube videos of almost every corner of a new location. I could look up maps and images of the airport terminal to see exactly where I’d need to go.

This type of research leads to some familiarity with a new location before one arrives. It’s almost like a deja-vu. Maybe the term is a pre-experience?