I've been very fortunate in my travels, having first experienced Europe as a child, and then spending six years living abroad. I have been to 48 states and 47 countries, many several times. What I know for certain is that when you strip away the visible differences -- the color of our skin, the clothes we wear, the cultural/religious norms, the look of the city or countryside -- we are really all the same. When you travel, you see yourself in other guises, for the people you meet are just like you. It’s the ultimate opportunity to “walk in another (wo)man’s shoes”, to pretend you were born somewhere else, and live a different life. Gratitude rises within you.
Photos: Sofi, with "Mr. Wonderful", a confectioner in Istanbul. In Cairo, with a woman who made pita bread. The river guide at Iguazu Falls. Women dancing in Malaga, Spain. Our tiger guides at Ranthambore, India. Salaam, the spice seller, in Aswan, Egypt.
I firmly believe that no matter where we live, as humans, our life goals are aligned: a safe place to call home, enough to eat, education for ourselves and our children, loving friends and family, good health, and a job that provides enough for our needs. Reaching these goals may look different in India vs Croatia vs Argentina, but travel becomes a lot more enjoyable when you realize that every place is populated with people like you. Sure, they may look different or do different things, eat different foods or pray in a different way, but I promise you, the one thing I have learned from visiting six continents is that we share more commonalities than differences.
Friends will tell me that I am very brave in my travels, but I have rarely felt unsafe. And I have found that people in other places cannot believe I live in LA, as they've heard about the gangs, the pollution, the traffic, and the homeless. They consider their city safer than this one, and are fearful, sometimes, of traveling to the US. To me, these are the fears the media tries to put upon us, always stressing the negative, the risks the shadow side of humanity. Just as we would inform a foreigner that the media version of LA (or heaven forbid, the version put forth in the movie “Crash”) isn’t our experience, so the person in Cairo or Bangkok or Lima would tell you what we hear about their city isn’t what they experience. Nor will you.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb in his skin and walk around in it.” Harper Lee
Travel is a great education, and no matter how much or little you have traveled, I would encourage more. The first time you go to a country where you are the minority you will learn about discrimination and stereotyping, and you will start to recognize when you do the same at home. When you visit a developing country and see people living in less comfortable conditions, working hard with their hands, sacrificing good health or feeling insecure about their futures, you gain empathy, compassion, and gratitude. And when you visit a country where the majority are not Christian, you will better see the common threads of religion, and the common need for faith. We should compel ourselves to experience other places, because we can learn, grow, and help … and because our privileges require us to do so.
I've always kept a list of countries I want to visit, and so when the opportunity arises, I have ideas on where I want to go. Yes, there are times when we want to return to the familiar, to relax and rejuvenate, but I also think we can energize ourselves by going outside our comfort zones.
During this "gap year", I would like to help others stretch themselves and experience the rich diversity of our world. May I challenge you to go somewhere new, somewhere different, a place where the people don't look like you (on the outside; they are the same on the inside). Learn about the history of a foreign land. Indulge in a culture that is different from your own. See nature -- animals, mountains, beaches -- that you haven't seen before. If you need help selecting your adventure spot, let me know. I will gladly help you plan a trip. I promise you'll be safe, and I promise you will come back refreshed .... with a broader outlook on life, and having turned strangers into friends. Let's go!
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