When we talk of attractions, we like to think that they are naturally occurring phenomena waiting there for us to discover. That’s the perverse, egotistic joy of exploration: to think some roadside restaurant or perfect riverbank or stretch of scenic highway has been just sitting there, muddling along waiting for us to happen along and complete the circuit. It’s a fallacy, of course, but one that works in everyone’s favor.
The truth is, most destinations come about as a mix of happenstance and determination. Someone has a place, an idea, and then the river flow of the Universe turns it into what it will eventually become or washes it away. We, the travelers, are part of that river, with each paddle stroke, each time we pull over to shore, we help direct its course.
