The People Aspect Of Travel

My last blog post about travel was written right after a trip to Costa Rica. Since then, so much has happened in my travel life. My wife, Monica, and I started a podcast called Love, Business, and Luggage, and the travel has continued.

This last trip to Australia and New Zealand caused me to pause and reflect again. I write this not to be boastful, but to express my gratitude that I am able to travel the way I do. It has created unimaginable family moments and opened me up to so many cultures and experiences.

I have ridden a camel in the Sahara, watched sporting events in foreign countries, climbed a mountain in South Korea, seen a wallaby in the wild, stepped foot in ruins that are thousands of years old, walked the famous Shibuya Crossing in Japan, set foot on five continents, and explored much of the United States.

That is just a small sampling of the things I have done, but what I take from all of them are the people we have experienced along the way.

Don’t get me wrong, some people suck. That’s just how it is. But in all of my travels, I have experienced kindness and understanding from people of all different cultures, skin colors, religions, and backgrounds. For all of the amazing places I have been, I am more touched by the collection of human interactions. Some are simple, like a passing conversation on a subway. Others are more substantive, like getting to know the driver on a multi-day trip across Morocco.

Growing up, I could have never imagined the types of experiences I would have. I am a middle-class kid from New Mexico. My family traveled as much as we could and made some amazing memories traversing the United States. However, the idea of flying to another continent never crossed my mind.

That is why I think I look at my travel experiences with such wonder and gratitude. I also started my travels later than many. The first time I crossed the ocean, I was in my early 40s, although my wife would argue I am being generous with “early.” I teared up while sitting on my first wide-body jet, getting ready to head to Portugal for my first ocean crossing.

I am blessed to do this with my wonderful wife and family. Monica and I had similar upbringings in different parts of the United States, so we both have the same reaction when we reach a new place: “How did a middle-class boy from New Mexico and a middle-class girl from Ohio end up in fill-in-the-blank?” Truly, the amazement never ceases for us, and I hope it never does.

So why do I write this blog? Is it to encourage you to travel? Maybe a little, but travel comes with a significant financial burden that not everyone can afford. Is it to brag about my journeys? Nope. I don’t see myself as that vain.

So why?

Simply to say that we all grow up with biases. Those biases are formed through generalizations we are fed as children. They can come from friends, family, the news, or simply the geopolitics we grow up in. I encourage you to look beyond that and see the beauty in other cultures and people.

They may lead a different life than ours, but the vast majority of people I have met are welcoming, amazing individuals who are trying to lead a life of fulfillment. They are hardworking and willing to share their stories and cultures with you.

So even if you cannot travel, find someone who has had a different life experience than you and learn about them and where they came from. Be willing to reassess your biases with a fresh mind so that you may experience the beauty in all kinds of people.

I am certain that if you do this, you will find a much kinder world with much less hate than our politicians and news shows often suggest.

Get out there and experience the world, starting with your own community.

For more about our travels, please follow Love, Business, and Luggage wherever you get your podcasts.