When we think about our vacations, we focus on the trip itself.  But planning and taking a trip is so much more!  The Joys of Travel: And Stories That Illuminate Them, which is now available in paperback, explores all the different ways travel affects us.  Veteran travel writer, Thomas Swick, reflects on what he has identified as “the seven joys of travel”: anticipation, movement, break from routine, novelty, discovery, emotional connection, and heightened appreciation of home.  Each element unique in its own way.  Coupled with the personal essays are seven true stories that illustrate these “joys”; many that we take for granted.  The book also offers tips on how you can get the most out of your trips, including strategies for meeting locals, and examines how various modes of transportation affect your experience.  Swick also supplies you with the titles of travel classics that will not only prepare you for the places you visit, but make those places more meaningful once you arrive.