I have always enjoyed looking at maps and terrain of the world for as long as I could remember; and I still enjoy when I watch a time lapse of virtually anywhere in the world — which shows the surface of our planet change over the past 30 years year by year and is nothing short of amazing, in my opinion — between the years 1984 through 2012 since I first found out greater than two years ago about this Internet web site which is the result of a collaboration between Time magazine and Google…
…and the best part is that you can choose a location — your home city, a favorite destination, an ecological landmark as three examples — and watch how it has changed since 1984.
You can watch such occurrences before your eyes as cities sprawling; forests diminishing; and the aftermath of natural disasters and the retreat of glaciers. In fact, the project is meant as a “wake-up call” to bring attention to such serious ecological factors as global warming.
Do you remember where you were in 1984 — if you were even born yet?
For example, here is Biloxi, Mississippi before Hurricane Katrina arrived in 2005:
…and here is Biloxi, Mississippi in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina ravaged it — and notice how the bridge to the right of the peninsula has practically vanished, as I reported in this article of photographs:
Here is Biloxi, Mississippi as of 2012:
That is only three snapshots out of the 30 years of the history of Biloxi since 1984. For additional photographs of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, please refer to these articles:
- Remembering Hurricane Katrina in Photographs: A New Beginning, 2005
- Hotels, Casinos and Other Public Buildings
- Home Will Never Be the Same
- Signs in Biloxi
- Tree-Mendous Damage in Pass Christian
- A Grave Situation in Biloxi
- Point Cadet in Biloxi
- The Destroyed Biloxi Bay Bridge in Lots of Photographs
While I usually choose the aisle seat aboard an airplane if I have the need to exit the aircraft sooner once the flight has completed, I prefer a window seat — if nothing else but to guess over what area of the planet the aircraft is flying at that moment.
More often than not, I am usually correct — and if it is a city I recognize, I can usually name the highways, main roads and landmarks — no matter from which directional vantage point.
Be prepared, though: you might be in for hours of fun exploring the world like you never have before — and without having to leave the comfort of your own home, get hassled at an airport security checkpoint, fight crowds at the counter, get delayed due to inclement weather, and incur damage to your bank account.
You also do not get to earn frequent travel loyalty program miles or points, either. Ah, well — you cannot always have it all…
