A Grateful Stairway
As I sit here in the UCI Cancer treatment center, with my grandpa, we look at the patients that are passing by us. Most are in worse predicaments and conditions than him. Some are older, few are kids and some are young adults like myself. I see parents, spouses, and siblings, all here for the same reason I am, to support our loved ones in the moments that they need us most.
However, thinking of the sicknesses these individuals have makes me heartsick. Makes me even feel criminal at times. I think of how unfair it is that I, a young women, can and have traveled to places and seen how beautiful this planet is. Whereas in contrast, these individuals may never get the experiences that may take their pain away or even the thought of having cancer disappear for just one moment.
“Deviation from nature is deviation from happiness” — Samuel Jackson
I chose to travel because it grants me with the opportunity to take break from of the craziness and hostility of society. It opens my brain to more possibilities. I feel free, even content with the person I am in that moment. I want these patients to be able to sense this remarkable feeling that makes me crave more travels and adventures.
Adventures and travels have lead me to so many different experiences, thoughts and moments. Traveling makes me feel alive or like a kid again. It allows one to see the world like its brand new. It makes you feel genuinely small, which could be good for people with big egos. Sometimes travel makes you feel grateful for what you have already.
Travel for me, has always been a learning experience, not just socially but also personally. When I went to Costa Rica, I learned that they no longer have a military, because they linked the military to some of the deadliest crimes the country has ever had. Australia, is one of the only countries that has a ban on firearms and their crime rate has decreased 43 percent since the ban in 1997.
Personal, traveling has shaped the person I am today. It has really opened my eyes to other cultures and their habits. It taught me not to judge based on others opinions of people. Traveling has allowed me to become more open minded to trying new activities, like whitewater rafting, snowshoeing through the back country of Montana, or even trying ‘cultural enlightenment remedies’.
