Travel

Describe travel in one word? So hard to do, but here goes. Fun. Exciting. Risk-taking. Adventurous. Explore. Discover. Learn.

Personally, I love to travel. I believe I caught the travel bug, when I was a small child. My family and I traveled on vacation quite a bit, when I was young. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it allowed me to see the world as one and at the same time, as many. I learned that, despite our differences, we are truly one people. I also realized that we can learn so much from each other, through our differences. When I return from a trip, I always come back feeling grateful for what I have and also humbled by my experiences. Textbooks teach us well, but it is through travel that you can validate and complement what you already know.

I try to stay in or near the country. This allows me to soak up the local culture more so than in a city.

Travel, of course, brings some anxiety. We’re not familiar with the culture or language. I have found that attitude makes all the difference. Learn 5 words, like hello, thanks, etc, in the destination language. Use them. You’ll be amazed how many doors it will open for you. What you’ve done is shown respect to the natives as you are really a guest on their homeland.

I encourage you to grab your camera, pack your bag and head out of town. Explore. Discover. Learn with an open mind. You’ll return enlightened and humbled.