One of the intriguing aspects of traveling to a different country is that everything seems novel. Scenes that you wouldn't think twice about in your own country, are somehow poignant and magical elsewhere. This idea is captured in a poem by Stephen Dunn I recently discovered. The effect is magnified outside of the US, where thousands of years of history has become incorporated into modern life. Structures built before there was electricity now house businesses dependent on computers and satellites. And streets teeming with modern commerce are decorated with sculpture and architecture from a distant past. This photo collage shows just a few examples from prior travels.