It was once said that "to not know the world is to not know yourself". I also read something that has always stuck with me, "To travel is to make the world a part of you, to stay home is to merely be a part of the world"
I have embraced travel and taken every opportunity that has ever come my way to seek out new places that will broaden my mind to other ways of life. I remember my first trip to Europe and it will be a mile marker in my life that changed how I saw people who are different and how important culture became to me. I was 26 years old at the time and met this girl who had just come back from France and Italy and she went on and on about it. She was so enthusiastic and being someone who had always wanted to see Italy I checked into it and found it wasn't as expensive as I had thought it would be.
I made my plans and flew to Paris the next week. My first night there was a struggle due to the time difference and I woke up at 4:30 the next morning and decided to go for a walk around 5. I walked by the bakeries and watched through the window as they were making the croissant and bread and preparing the chickens for the roaster. A woman saw me and invited me in for a cafe ole and warm croissant. I spoke no french and she spoke very little english but she was so nice and wouldnt take my money for anything. I'll never forget that trip as long as I live. It opened my eyes and ever since I have had this wanderlust and want to see everything before I die.
But I recently read that less than 20% of americans have a passport. We are so stuck in our own culture, and lack of it, that we have this view that we are the ONLY real society worth experiencing. So many people say stupid shit like "America is all I need" but they have no concept of what other societies are even like other than what they see on TV. I know someone who watches everything on Travel Channel and talks about all the places he would love to go, but never does and never will. he has the money and time yet is afraid of what is out there.
As much of a pain in the ass as you think I am there's one thing I am not and that's afraid. I am not afraid to say how I feel to your face, not hidden behind a fake name like a pussy. I am not afraid to try new things and I'm not afraid to go places I know nothing about. I am not afraid of the unknown. The unknown is what motivates me in my life. I feel bad for those who stick only to what they already know. That could be food or places or whatever. The familiar is comforting but it's also holding you back from being a better person and understanding people who are different.
If I could give anyone advice it would be to travel. See the world and take a trip to someplace different where they speak a different language and eat different foods. I am going to India in January which is a place I have been on the fence about for years. There are few places in the world that are so drastically different from the US than India. I will be going with my friend who went there to study yoga and she is taking me back and we'll be there for a month. 10 years ago I would have laughed at her when she invited me, but today thanks to the last 9 years that I have been exploring the world I jumped at the opportunity and wish we were leaving tomorrow.
So please, get out of your comfort zone and open your mind to other places. I promise that you'll find more out about yourself than anything else.
I have embraced travel and taken every opportunity that has ever come my way to seek out new places that will broaden my mind to other ways of life. I remember my first trip to Europe and it will be a mile marker in my life that changed how I saw people who are different and how important culture became to me. I was 26 years old at the time and met this girl who had just come back from France and Italy and she went on and on about it. She was so enthusiastic and being someone who had always wanted to see Italy I checked into it and found it wasn't as expensive as I had thought it would be.
I made my plans and flew to Paris the next week. My first night there was a struggle due to the time difference and I woke up at 4:30 the next morning and decided to go for a walk around 5. I walked by the bakeries and watched through the window as they were making the croissant and bread and preparing the chickens for the roaster. A woman saw me and invited me in for a cafe ole and warm croissant. I spoke no french and she spoke very little english but she was so nice and wouldnt take my money for anything. I'll never forget that trip as long as I live. It opened my eyes and ever since I have had this wanderlust and want to see everything before I die.
But I recently read that less than 20% of americans have a passport. We are so stuck in our own culture, and lack of it, that we have this view that we are the ONLY real society worth experiencing. So many people say stupid shit like "America is all I need" but they have no concept of what other societies are even like other than what they see on TV. I know someone who watches everything on Travel Channel and talks about all the places he would love to go, but never does and never will. he has the money and time yet is afraid of what is out there.
As much of a pain in the ass as you think I am there's one thing I am not and that's afraid. I am not afraid to say how I feel to your face, not hidden behind a fake name like a pussy. I am not afraid to try new things and I'm not afraid to go places I know nothing about. I am not afraid of the unknown. The unknown is what motivates me in my life. I feel bad for those who stick only to what they already know. That could be food or places or whatever. The familiar is comforting but it's also holding you back from being a better person and understanding people who are different.
If I could give anyone advice it would be to travel. See the world and take a trip to someplace different where they speak a different language and eat different foods. I am going to India in January which is a place I have been on the fence about for years. There are few places in the world that are so drastically different from the US than India. I will be going with my friend who went there to study yoga and she is taking me back and we'll be there for a month. 10 years ago I would have laughed at her when she invited me, but today thanks to the last 9 years that I have been exploring the world I jumped at the opportunity and wish we were leaving tomorrow.
So please, get out of your comfort zone and open your mind to other places. I promise that you'll find more out about yourself than anything else.
