WP2: Wanderlust | Greece
Greece was an absolute dream and full of beautiful scenery. The architecture and the sunsets were absolutely breathtaking. Moreover, the people were incredibly gracious, and welcoming to us as tourists. Their kindness expanded my appreciation and respect for other cultures to dimensions that I didn’t know were possible.
Growing up in a very privileged environment, surrounded by affluent families, I was sheltered and developed a very narrow mindset to people of different cultures. I was critical of different cultural traditions or holidays that didn’t align with major American holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. This narrow mindset would have been completely detrimental to the growth of my character had I held it for much longer. However, one man, the bus driver of our tour bus George, completely changed my perspective.
On our first official day in Greece, my family arrived at the designated location to be picked up by the tour bus. We were the first ones to arrive and had a small chat with our tour guide and George before the rest of the families came. We took a particular liking to George and vice versa. He let us sit at the front of the bus and started to tell me and my sister about the history or fun facts about places and monuments that we passed. Some of these stories would be personal to him, as he’d reminisce about his own childhood and teenage years. In between long drives from location to location, he’d teach me and my sister words in the Greek language. (I wish I remembered some of the words he had taught me.) Upon arriving at certain destinations, he would give us recommendations on small stores and restaurants to shop or eat at. His kindness and the lengths he went to teach me about a country that was so foreign to me is something that I have not forgotten to this day.
I believe that Greece, and in particular, George, taught me how to be more accepting and welcoming to people of all cultures and backgrounds. His acceptance of me, a narrow-minded female Asian American tourist, showed me that I could do the same and reap the benefits of kindness, tolerance, and acceptance. I could establish and further develop deeper emotional connections to people that were different from me. I also came to realize that being friends with someone who is different from me isn’t a bad thing at all. Now, I have friends from all over the world (India, Singapore, Denmark, Canada, etc.) and love hearing about their own traditions and holidays. Many of them were similar to traditions or holidays that I celebrate with my own family, but just during different times of year because of historical events or circumstances that dictated such dates.
Being culturally and socially aware and accepting is important for not only ourselves, but for others, as well. The kindness and acceptance for others could be reciprocated in ways that go beyond just two individuals. We learn how to better sympathize with others, how to be more mindful with our actions, and how it may affect others. Further, cultural diversity and acceptance allows us to build tolerance and respect for differences in opinion. We become more open-minded to ideas or beliefs that differ from our own and learn how to compromise with these conflicting thoughts. Acceptance and awareness are key characteristics that have made me more sensitive and empathetic, which I believe have contributed to the evolution of my character. This evolution and maturity came to be because a man showed me the same acceptance that I continually strive to reciprocate to others.
Last stop: Vietnam