This article is partially motivated from watching a TED talk from Jill Shargaa entitled “Please, please, people. Let’s put the ‘awe’ back in ‘awesome’.
People who think the Great Pyramid of Giza (or indeed, the whole Pyramid complex there) isn’t awesome have clearly never actually visited it.
I have, and considering it was build four and a half thousand years ago, it is simply amazing. Simply put, if you aren’t awestruck by something, it isn’t awesome.
Anti-Lego Movie: “Everything isn’t awesome”
Considering the dictionary definition of the word awesome, the use of that word in everyday life clearly is wrong. That is, unless you are genuinely easily impressed.
Assuming you are not easily impressed – that you have developed beyond the excitement level of a three year old – it’s time to reconsider your daily vocabulary.
In the spirit of differentiating between things that are convenient, good, great or even excellent – here’s a list of places (since this is a travel site) which I think are candidates to be legitimately labeled as as awesome’:
Travel Awesomeness – A short list
(Places I’ve personally vetted in person)
When I mean awestruck, I mean it’s one of those moments that is permanently etched on your mind forever. If you think to yourself ‘pinch me, for I must be dreaming’, then you might have a candidate for awesomeness. In these locations listed below, I had the sensation of being awestruck at the size, scale or age plus the level of craftsmanship or architectural prowess relative to the age in which it was created or built.
- Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
- Parthenon in Athens
- Vatican/St Peter’s Basilica
- Coliseum, Rome, Italy
- Tower of London
- Island of Manhattan, New York
- Great wall of China
- Ice sculptures in Harbin, north China
- Great barrier reef, Australia
- Grand Canyon, Arizona, US
- Hawaiian volcanoes, US
(places I believe might qualify, but I have not visited – yet)
- Space/the Moon
- Easter island
- Maccu Picchu, Peru
- Chichen Itza, Mexico
- Victoria falls, Africa
- Petra, Jordan
- Antarctica
What’s on your list?