Travel. It’s More Important Now Than Ever.
There’s a whole world out there, and it’s nowhere near as scary as it might seem from your Facebook feed.
Throughout my 21 years of existence on this earth, I have been very fortunate to travel a lot. I have lived in five different countries and visited over 30. Traveling the world, learning about cultures, seeing new places and meeting new people. Traveling helps you build an understanding of the world around you. An understanding that many people today, fail to see the importance of.
After High School, I took a gap year and moved to South Africa. I did not know much about the country. The perception I had of the place limited to online articles and the 2010 Fifa world cup. I read about the high crime rates and political instability. Protests with people upset about the government spending $3billion on a soccer tournament. Needles to say, I was pretty nervous. Yet, I pushed myself to channel my unfamiliarity into curiosity, and an eagerness to learn.
Living in Cape Town ended up being the most educational six months of my life. I managed to unravel my false beliefs and build a true understanding of the place. What I learned about the people, the food, the customs, is something a book or article could never teach me. Looking back at my perception “pre-Cape Town” I get annoyed at myself for being so ignorant to the place. Thinking I could build an accurate picture of a place based on a soccer tournament and a few articles. It taught me to be very careful not to confuse someone else’s opinion as my own. To keep an open mind.
Having a good understanding of different cultures has never been more important. The other day I was chit-chatting with my Uber driver on my way to work. He asked where I was from and I explained that I was from Sweden but lived in Dubai for nine years. His response was one I have heard too many times before, “oh man, I heard its real dangerous over there. you know? With all the Muslims”.
I get it. Turn on the news and all you see is coverage on war in muslim dominated countries like Syria and Iraq. We have a publicly Islamophobic president. This man has most likely never been to a muslim country. If he had, his opinion of muslims would be very different.
Many of the issues we are facing today, stem from a lack of understanding of different cultures. Racism and hate is being created by misinformed perceptions. My Uber driver had never been outside the US, shutting himself out from the rest of the world. I wanted to tell him to step out, and create his own understanding of the world. Equip himself with a point of comparison. To not base his thoughts on the opinions of one 70 year old man, who still does not know how to properly tie a tie.
But it’s not that easy.
Traveling is expensive and takes time. Not everyone can do it.
But you need to understand the importance of travel. Understand that it is not enough to judge a whole population based on the one news channel you watch. Its educational, its enlightening, and you will become a better person for it.
