I just started reading a book called Travel as a Political Act. The book is about traveling to broaden your horizons about other cultures and people so that the way we view life can be seen through the eyes of others and not just the cultural ideology of America. Such things like Bulgarians and Moroccans have their own dream and it's different than the American dream. Minimum wage is is more than many people make an entire day in many parts of the world. And many countries are ok with higher taxes to help others with health care and homelessness.
While I don't always agree with the viewpoints in the book, I read it with an open mind and with a desire to at least understand a different perspective. I say this as someone who is very opinionated, believes I am often right in my view, and comes across as very serious and maybe even obnoxious. There is something more than just that side of me. I also say this as someone who enjoys experiences and learning in my travels as opposed to just seeing all the sights. From my trips to Europe, my most vivid memories are of adventures, lessons learned, and people I have met. I've seen the Eiffel Tower, the Prado, Anne Frank's house, various castles, museums, and monuments. I don't have many memories of those places though I do have many pictures.
However, I can tell you stories of wandering upon a nude beach in Portugal, a Lebanese girl I met at McDonald's in Paris, hanging out with new friends and a local Italian at a small beach village in Italy, getting locked out of my hotel after going to a night club in Florence and how I managed to find a place to sleep for the night, spending the day with a translator named Dema, a Russian kid, and an Estonian kid in Estonia and what I learned from that experience. I can tell you what I learned about myself while trying to find our hotel in Madrid, how two different people can see the same museum and each take away something different from the experience, what taking the Metro to Notre Dame taught be about communication. It's from these experiences and people that my view of the world and how I see myself have been forever changed.
I remember my first trip to Estonia in 1995. I had never been out of the country until then. When I got there, I was fascinated with the people and the language. I spent 3 hours on a bus trip trying to learn some words and phrases. I ordered food from a vendor on the street with my basic Estonian. I loved getting to know our translators. I wanted to learn about Estonian history, culture, and food. I don't know where all of that came from. I am a quiet, shy kid but that trip helped me discover a passion I never knew I had. Year later, I still have that passion and believe that is has helped shape and changed me.
While I don't agree with the politics and perspectives of everyone I meet, I admit that I am a different person because of it. Sometimes I think I have no passion or dreams. And then I remember my experiences and adventures from traveling and know that these are gifts God gave to me. I believe everyone should be open to new experiences and people when they travel. It will make us better citizens of the world as a result.
