Maps are beautiful stories. When I look at a map, I imagine where I have been and the adventures I will have in the future. When I lived in Cambodia, I had a map of the world on my dining room wall. It was the greatest way to get conversations going when my Cambodian friends visited. They would tell me about Cambodia and could point out the spots they knew as well as tell me about their travels and their dreams.
Most of my Cambodian friends had not been to the United States so having the big map on the wall to show them where I was from and even how far away it was always gave us many topics of conversation.
Stories evolve from maps. Imagination soars and it gives all of us a familiarity with the world which helps us understand each other better.
Whenever I meet someone and they tell me where they are from, I imagine a map of the world in my head and pinpoint where they came from. It gives us a common place to begin knowing and understanding each other.
While traveling we all have our GPS, Google print outs and talking car telling us where to turn but having a map to look at the long view gives me a sense of ownership of my travels. I can look ahead and study. Laying a big map out on a table and tracing the road with your finger is an adventure in itself.
A fun thing to do with the kids is create a giant map of the world in your back yard. Have them take trips to new places and have them tell you about them. It promotes an exciting reading opportunity too!
