They were terrified after driving two hours and literally seeing nothing but a few antelope. I was able to pass on the kindness a couple of years later to a Japanese couple at a rest area in the middle of remote Wyoming. He simply told us to pass on the kindness to someone else. After an hour of driving around, he led us to our hotel, where were offered him dinner, gas money, etc., which he refused. He also ended up getting lost, as Milan had a huge amount of road construction, and no clear signage. He offered to let us follow him, as he had lived in Milan for five years. My husband and I once got help from a British expat who approached us in a gas station outside of Milan as we were butchering the Italian language in an attempt to find the route to our hotel. To quote a line from Elizabeth's Gilbert's article (highly recommended, she is a much better writer than myself) perfectly reflects my hope for the world: " I want to live in a society filled with people who are curious and concerned about each other rather than afraid of each other." I do believe in the goodness of people, regardless of country, color, or culture. Travel always makes me feel better about the state of the world, rather than worse. However, in every single case when I was starting to be really afraid or concerned, there has always been someone who has stepped up to help me with pure kindness and generosity. In every country I have visited, I have been lost, confused and sometimes scared (like many Americans, I do not know a second language) about finding my hotel, car or train route, etc. The things he told me his grandparents said/did were the same that I heard growing up- they were all working for a better life for their grandchildren.Įvery trip has gotten me out of my comfort zone, often in ways that show me the beauty of the world, but also that challenge my worldview and sometimes scare the crap out of me. That connection made me appreciate and respect his intelligence and work ethic, and to understand that people are the same, no matter where in the world you live. I also learned that he was the only person from his entire village to attend college. What he showed me was five acres and a one room home, which was a very sharp contrast to my modern, Midwestern family farm. He asked to see some pictures of my family farm, which I showed him, and I asked the same of him. Travel has humbled me in more ways than I can explain, including a time when I was having dinner with a coworker from China, reflecting on our common interests and life experiences (we both grew up on farms, majored in business in college, and loved travel and photography). and Europe as well as Canada, Mexico and the Philippines has made me crave ever more travel while simultaneously appreciating my home and upbringing. Having been fortunate enough to travel extensively throughout the U.S. Traveling to new countries, or even different parts of America always opens up my eyes to new cultures, people, and ways to view the world. With all of the fear, mistrust and polarizing politics today, I feel like getting out and experiencing the world is more important than ever. The article talks about her searching for herself and for life meaning through world travel, and the differences between isolation and connection. I recently read an article written by an author that I love, regarding an experience that she had while traveling in Indonesia.
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