How Americans Could Benefit From Travel

I am American.  I grew up there, did my bachelors degree there, and also worked there for 6 years before taking some serious time to travel abroad.  I know American culture well and know so many of the country’s people would enjoy, and benefit from, some time overseas (or over the border).

The most important thing you will gain is perspective.  When you travel, you begin to realize that life doesn’t have to be what we’ve made it.  Instead, it is what we make it. Life, culture, and society are all constantly evolving.  Life is different now than it was ten years ago in many ways and for many reasons. This means we do get to influence both our personal and collective experiences.

One of the luxuries of being American is that we, as citizens, do have the luxury of influencing our society.  We have the option to make personal choices that benefit the greater good, both locally and globally.

When you go abroad, you will see people living differently than to what you’re accustomed to at home.  This is exciting and exhilarating, but it can also make you uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is a good thing.  This is where you will grow.

When something is different, examine why it is different.  Talk to locals and other reliable sources (like books by academics and journalists) about why something is different, how it got that way, and how they make it function.  This is especially important for basics qualities and conditions of life. Here are a few worth examining:

-Food: What do people eat? How do they prepare it? What are their food sources?  What beliefs and traditions are wrapped up in eating?

-Health: How do people regard health?  How do they take care of their health? Why systems are in place to preserve health?  What are the costs to individuals and society for optimal health?

-Environment: What is the local environment?  Where is the relationship between man and nature?  

-Work: What kinds of work happen in the culture?  How is work divided and accomplished? How are resources, like money, allocated in relation to work?  What work is valued/devalued?

-Gender: What are local attitudes toward the concept of gender?  Toward men, women, and people who identify differently? How is gender expressed?  What is expected, or not expected, from individuals in each group?

These are just five ways we can examine culture.  There are many more. But when you begin to see how things are different, it will broaden your spectrum of options available in the attitudes and beliefs we hold individually.  It will also lead us to be more creative in dealing with the many situations we find ourselves in at home. This can, in turn, have a positive influence our own culture.