Wednesday 22 May 2013

5 Places I'd love to visit if I could time travel

One of the interview questions I ask other middle-grade/young adult authors on my blog is, If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why? I’ve gotten so many answers, many of them unique and original. I’ve even posed this question to elementary students when I’ve done an author visit. And you know what? Most kids say that they’d travel back to the time period to when their parents were their age so they can meet them.

Didn’t see that one coming!
The kids’ response got me thinking. Where would I like to go, if given the opportunity to time travel into the past? My answers both surprised and delighted me. Here are my top five picks:

1.      Atlantis – I know, go figure, but I believe it was a real place and not a myth. I’ve done too much research to know this. My gut tells me Atlantis existed. However, I wouldn’t want to go back there when things, let’s say got little shaky and wet, for the Atlanteans!
 

2.      Ancient Egypt – this timeline is very hard to pinpoint. I’ve just done a bucket load of research in this era for the prequel to my time travel series, The Legend of the Timekeepers. Egypt, it seems, was rumored as a place where many Atlantean refugees settled after the destruction of Atlantis. So if there’s any truth to these myths, I’d love to go back and see what the Atlanteans did with their clean slate.
 

3.      Mayan Civilization (Central America) – I’d love to go during their Classic period (250 C.E. to 900 C.E.) because it seems the Mayans reached their peak in this era with advanced science, art, and architecture. It makes me wonder what the Spanish Conquistadors destroyed and stole from this advance civilization. Oh yeah, and believe it or not, the Mayan pyramids are older than the Egyptian pyramids.
 

4.      Greece (336-323 B.C.E.), during the reign of Alexander the Great – this man is a legend. Not only did he create the largest empire in the ancient world, he built new Greek-style cities like Alexandria in Egypt. Scholars came to Alexandria from all over the Greek world to study and discuss new ideas. Would have loved to visit his legendary library!


5.      France in the 1800s, during the time of the French novelists – meeting the Three Musketeers’, Quasimodo’s, and Captain Nemo’s creators would be the icing on the cake for me. Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo, and Jules Verne not only created great literary works, but managed to leave a legacy behind that will live for generations to come. These novelists were true trailblazers in every sense of the word.

There you have it. My top five place picks I’d love to visit if I could travel back in time. So where would you blaze into the past to visit? Love to hear your choices! And don’t forget to enter for a chance to win all of the fabulous prizes mentioned in the Rafflecopter below…
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17 comments:

  1. Love you post, Sharon. There are only a couple of places I'd like to visit. One is Moscow in the middle to late 1800s, but only if I was rich or the servant to someone very rich. I'm not real keen on peasantry.:) Denmark when Hans Christian Anderson was in his heyday. Also, what is now Israel during Christ's life. Last is Chicago during Al Capone's reign, but maybe that one is just for the hussy in me.:)

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    1. Yes, I can somehow see you as a flapper, Sloane! LOL! Great past picks! Thanks for surfing by to share your choices! Cheers!

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  2. A little time travel happening here. Works for me. I was told by a psychic that I had a prior life in ancient Egypt, so don't need to go there since I'm already been...*g*

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    1. Same here, Lizzie! Been there, done that, got the mummy wrappings! Wink. Cheers for your support!

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  3. Ooh. I need to give this some thought.

    I change my mind every time I add another branch to my family tree.

    (And I believe Atlantis was a real place, too, Sharon. I think I saw something in the DailyMail last week about an excavation?)

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    1. Ohh, love to know where? Wait - is that why there's strangers digging in my yard?

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  4. I am doing good to stay in my own time! but if I could be rich there I'd love to visit Regency England and I'd I could be safe from sabre tooth tigers I'd visit Paleolithic times! Fun post!

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    1. I hear ya, Arley - it would suck without toilet paper too! Wink.

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  5. I dunno, Sharon. Some of those places were downright vicious. Not sure if a 21st century person could cope. I go for Atlantis, a place that sounds far gentler than the others. So it didn't exist. There's a large number of explorers who have tried to find it. I'm with them.

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    1. Me too, Vonnie! Atlantis, here we come! Cheers!

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  6. Great post, Sharon! It gets me thinking! So, if I was able to travel back in time I think I'd like to see the "wild" West. I'd love to know what it was really like, and if movies even come close. But, since I think it was quite a dangerous time I'd want it to be a short visit.

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    1. Yeah, Diane, I think I'd go back if Clint Eastwood decided to tag-along. One can't be to careful! Cheers for traveling by!

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  7. Hi, Sharon. I've nominated you for a Liebster award. http://www.amaleenison.com/?p=2135

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Okay, now I got it right - I thought you were nominated, but you nominated ME! Had to shake the cobwebs outta my head! Thanks so much for your nomination, Amaleen! Cheers!

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  8. My son, Bossman, told me that they found signs of Atlantis off the coast of Cuba. And visiting Atlantis would be wonderful, even if I have to wear scuba gear.

    I've been meaning to read your book and it is a pleasure dropping by your blog.

    Congrats on your nomination.

    Anna from http://emaginette.wordpress.com/blog
    email: emaginette@hotmail.com

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    1. Wouldn't it be awesome if explorers and scientists could prove (with evidence) Atlantis did exist? I for one believe it did. Thank you for your kind words and support, emaginette! Cheers!

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