Seth Godin reminded us of the importance of understanding.  He exposed our fundamental desire to rely on assumptions.  Our need to establish certainty overrides exploration of the unknown.

If we have never been to Paris, do we assume we have seen the City of Lights once we land at Charles de Gualle Airport?  Can we check Paris off our travel bucket list after a stroll down the Champs Elysees?  Is a day in the Louvre Museum sufficient?  A meal at a cafe?  Batobus ride on the Seine? Visit to the La Tour Eiffel?  

The answer is unique to each of us.  We have our own parameters.  A visitor with a single day in Paris may feel equally certain about their view as an expat who has lived on the Left Bank for months.  Understanding comes in connecting our points of reference to build a more detailed narrative.  Assumptions are easy.  Adventures provide pathway to test our assumptions.