Why traveling and cross cultural experiences matter




I don't think we realize how much our perceptions, opinions, pre-conceived notions, biases etc. of other cultures really impact our daily lives and interactions with those around us. We have become so accustomed to reacting to our own thoughts and societally bred opinions that we tend to let them isolate us from broadening our own horizons when it comes to understanding other cultures. We assume that what we are fed by media or by our own upbringing is an accurate assessment of people from other cultures, but in reality it is only a one sided approach that tends to leave many questions unanswered or simply assumed.

I have always been interested in learning about other cultures customs and ways of doing things. Not only do other cultures fascinate me but so do the people in my own back yard. Everyone has a different way of living and there is no one size fits all to living a life ~ more often than not, we use different forms of media to gauge if we're on the right path or not and if you think about it, it's rarely a realistic way to measure how we live our lives.

In addition to owning and operating my travel agency, Viva la Vida Travel, I also work within the school system. I happen to work in a very diverse school where in any given class, 10 languages can be represented. 10 different languages, 10 different cultures, and 10 different familial systems. My experience traveling to many Latin American countries has made me very passionate about advocating for Latin Americans  ( all immigrants, really) here on U.S. soil. I have seen them in their native lands, I have seen how they live,  and how they survive in what seems very dire conditions and I have seen how they thrive and I have a deep respect for them.


"Isn't it dangerous there?"

Sometimes we assume a country is dangerous based on a few interactions we may have with that destination. Maybe it's a news show, an article in a magazine, whatever, but we tend to base our opinions on many things based on experiences other people share with us and not our own personal experience.

Ask anyone living in the projects of anywhere U.S.A if they feel safe. I guarantee their perception of their life will be built upon their experiences living in poverty and they will answer with a resounding NO. Now, ask someone in suburban U.S.A what their experience is like and it will be 100% different. Does that make the U.S.A as a whole a dangerous place to live? Not really. The same goes for many of the countries where our immigrants come from. Ponder that for a while.

Here in the U.S. of A, we are a nation of immigrants. We are diverse in our regions, we are diverse in our cultures, we are diverse in our languages and we are diverse in our people. That all being said, in our daily interactions whether it be at work, at the grocery store, at school or at a community event, we are pretty much guaranteed that we will run across someone of another culture. In this day and age, ignorance and intolerance of other ways of living is not serving us well as a nation or as individual people. It becomes a very isolating way of living and as being the humans we are, we are a species that thrives on community. We need others in our lives to thrive and letting fear, assumptions, whatever dictate our actions limits us and in turn isolates us.


What's all of  this got to do with travel? 

Well, I'm not claiming to be a guru on all things culturally competent but I do claim to have experienced many cultures on their own soil and I have grown exponentially in my own weak areas of cultural understandings or misunderstandings. 



 In my work as a social worker prior to my travel career, I delved into the homes and lives of our immigrant neighbors, I learned their way of living, I walked along side of them, I  let down my guard to understand more of who they are as a culture AND as a human. The bottom line with them as well as within myself,  was always the innate need to feel welcomed, safe, loved and supported. 
Throughout my travel career, I have made it a point to understand the cultures of the countries that I travel to. I speak to the locals. I ask questions, some which may seem to be crazy in nature, but if I question something, it's best to get an answer than to sit with my own false answer or assumption in my head. 

Experiencing other cultures matters because as I said before, we are a diverse nation and will invariably come across other cultures whose traditions or ways of doing things we may not understand. Traveling bridges that gap. It brings us closer. We may never quite understand it ALL but if we show an interest in learning and a respect for our differences as well as our similarities, we're headed in the right direction. 

Nothing beats having a personal experience in another land and sharing moments with the people who call that land home. Traveling will help you feel connected both globally and locally and it will create a greater sense of community that is filled with more hope and positivity than fear and intolerance. 

Travel. 
Travel because it is good for you.
Travel because it is good for all of us.
Be an ambassador of the human race and help increase  your understanding of others as well as yourself. 
Bridge the cultural gaps that divide us. 





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Playa del Carmen vs. Cancun ~ What's the big difference?

La Limpia

Finding peace in Huatulco