I have been nominated for the Gratitude Challenge by the lovely 
, who is one of my most favorite people on all of steemit. If you haven’t checked out her posts, you are absolutely missing out. She is an incredibly heart-filled, loving mama who is all about encouraging us to love and appreciate ourselves and our amazing, beautiful bodies. Yes, I’m going to keep that paragraph for all seven days!
On day 6, I am incredibly glad for all the traveling I have been privileged to do and the way it has opened my mind and heart.
My son bought me the compass for Christmas, and my daughter got me the treasure map for my birthday
When I was a sophomore in college, I left the United States for the first time in my life. I had never even been to Canada or Mexico. That first trip was to Bolivia. First to La Paz and then to a small village in the mountains near Lake Titicaca called Ancoraimes. Needless to say it was a shock. This was 1995. Bolivia was in far worse shape economically than it is now. As a teenager who was raised in rural South Carolina and inner city Indianapolis, I thought I had seen some poverty. Not really. The poverty in La Paz was very eye opening.
The anthropology professor at our university had also done a lot of training with us before we left to try to ensure we weren’t too “ugly American.” Part of that training had been to give us a bit of an idea about how these kinds of planet-wide economic inequities came to be. What I saw there is a big part of why I rail up when I hear things like, “Well, if they would just work harder, they wouldn’t be so poor!” or “I don’t have any privileges. We all have the same opportunities. I worked hard for my money.” I witnessed people living in devastating poverty and working incredibly hard just to afford the most basic food in structures that really don't qualify as housing. I know this is supposed to be a positive post. I’m getting there.
After witnessing what I did and experiencing the extraordinary kindness of the people, I began to dig deeper into how the world got to be this way. I educated myself about the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as US foreign policy. Since then I have been to the Philippines, Canada, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, China, and Honduras. With each place, I have learned a little more. I have met kind and beautiful people. I have tried incredible foods and drinks. I have discovered cool cultural traditions and explored unimaginably beautiful landscapes.
I have learned a lot about nefarious underhanded dealings of governments and corporations. While that certainly isn’t positive, the knowledge I have gained has helped me have more understanding and get closer to figuring out what needs to shift in order to see a world where everyone has enough. I have also been exposed to so much beauty in people and land. I have learned new traditions and beliefs and discovered over time that our similarities of heart bound us together and also that our diversity and differences are important and beautiful.
I was pretty liberal by my high school years, but these experiences molded me and turned me radical. I could never have gained this level of understanding without leaving my home and exploring new places. I always encourage young people to travel as often as possible. I have the travel bug again really really bad and am praying for some market recovery so I can begin taking my kids to experience new cultures, new ways of thinking, and new friends. I think it is one of the best ways to raise children. Imagine growing up exposed to so much and never having to undo all those prejudices and biases. I am so incredibly glad for the travels I have been able to take and wildly excited for the ones that are coming.
Much love, y’all!
As always, all pics are mine or pixabay unless otherwise noted.
