Mindful travel does not end with the purchase of a plane ticket: it is about engaging in a meaningful way with communities.
I thought traveling meant going to a faraway place where sights, sounds and smells could catapult me into another version of myself. Only travel, I believed, had the power to make me braver and fearless, less biased and blind. In that sacred space of geographical and cultural difference, my fellow travelers and I would be ushered into an exclusive club of global sophistication.
The more I travel from my home to Seattle and the more I think about traveling to an unequal world, the less compelling I find this narrative. Travel is not about how far we physically go; it is about how far we are willing to go in our hearts, minds and beliefs. I have met people whose passports are dotted with postage stamps and yet are rather provincial in their world view. On the contrary, I know people who have rarely left home and are much more cosmopolitan in their thoughts.
When I visit a new city or country, everything can seem unfamiliar. Gripped by comfort and ease, I am forced to become a better observer. While wandering around Dakar, Senegal, known as my South Asian brown appearance shows up in the racial and cultural mix of West Africa. As I browse the markets of Rio de Janeiro, I consider what it feels like to be a woman, based on local gender norms. I reflect on the various privileges that are assigned to me thanks to my US passport, dollars in my pocket and my global mobility.
Travel is not simply about how far we physically go; it’s also about the journeys we make in our hearts and minds.
Travel brings these nuances to the surface just when I’m an outsider. Wearing designer sneakers and carrying a stylish bottle of water would loudly proclaim my urbanity and access to resources, especially when visiting less affluent places. Since building relationships is my priority as a traveler, I prefer to lessen my privileges and increase my desire to connect. I can’t undo all the global inequalities around me, but I can make small choices about how to present myself in new spaces. I carry an anonymous water container and wear the kind of footwear that other women my age make. Sometimes, this leads to unexpected feelings of connection, as I remember it happened on a sultry day in Tiananmen Square, where I was surrounded by Chinese elders. Despite the lack of shared language, their broad smiles offered grace and camaraderie. Other times, I stand out and simmer uncomfortably. A walking tour of Mexico City’s low-income neighborhoods left me agitated and unsure of how to process the planet’s many unfair realities. Both scenarios encourage me to pay attention to my feelings as well as to my surroundings.
I am trying to live my life at home with a similar conscience that I feel when I travel. How can I use the gifts I receive during the trip to live more consciously at home?
With a beginner’s mind, I enjoy the comforts of home and take my home environment as a curious outsider. When I hear the calls of robins and great tit in my local park, I wonder which communities in my hometown have fewer green spaces and why. I notice people around me as I pick up tomatoes from the supermarket. How monocultural is my life, I wonder, and why, especially if my city is celebrated as so different? In the library or at the bar, I intermittently shut my laptop and remember to look up. I try to connect with people, starting with a nod of the head, a sweet look and an easy smile. I avoid the automatic greeting “How are you?” Instead I ask, “What have you been thinking about lately?”
Conscious travel into an unequal world is not about getting on a plane to go somewhere; it is about paying attention to those who feel a sense of belonging, opportunity and acceptance and who is denied that dignity, and why. It is about understanding that, due to history and birth accidents, some of us have advantages that others are not granted.
None of us have a manual for dealing with the ways our privileges or lack of them make us feel, or how our identities might play out abroad or at home. However, we do have the ability to interact more intentionally with people and the world around us. In the process of mutual attention, we move closer to justice. And we might even heal a little bit of ourselves.
Dr. Anu Taranath is the author of Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World and has been a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle for 20 years. She is one of AFAR’s new Unpacked pundits.
Traveling helps us feel better about ourselves because we are more willing to receive the many lessons of the world, regardless of their shape or size. It helps us recognize our shared humanity with others and dispels fears or misunderstandings. After all, it’s much more fun to love the world than to be afraid of it.
Why do people travel?
The reasons may relate to work, family, health or medical care, social or economic needs. People who love to travel love relaxation, new cultures, foreign food or amazing landscapes different from their normal environment. Some people like the movement of traveling, being on a boat, plane, train, or bus.
What are the five reasons people travel? 5 reasons why we travel See the article : Music shows promising potential to slow the progression of dementia.
- We travel to learn.
- We travel to escape.
- We travel to discover.
- We travel to make new friends.
- We travel to experience.
Why do people like to travel?
Travel takes us out of our comfort zones and inspires us to see, taste and try new things. It constantly challenges us, not only to adapt and explore new environments, but also to engage with different people, to embrace adventures as they come, and to share new and meaningful experiences with friends and loved ones.
Why does travel make us happy?
Traveling rewires your brain According to neuroscientists, when we travel, we reconnect our brains. This is because new experiences are the key to building new neural pathways in the brain. To see also : Get away without going | Lifestyle news-journal.com. By rewiring your brain, you become more creative and accept new ideas. This is why traveling makes you happy.
Are people who travel much happier? People who travel frequently tend to have greater life satisfaction, according to a new study. Experts say vacation-induced joy can come from taking a break from work, having new experiences, and spending quality time with loved ones.
What is the joy of travelling?
Traveling allows you to discover something completely new and unique, which is why it can bring so much joy. According to Acor, the human brain craves novelty. “The new experiences we have when we travel help us gain perspective and remind us that the world is bigger than our everyday problems,” Achor said.
Do you have to travel to be happy?
There is no evidence to suggest that traveling will increase your long-term happiness. On the other hand, it’s possible that focusing too much on travel can distract you from the things that make you happy: friends and family, meaningful work, and helping others.
How has travelling changed since 100 years ago?
Soon after, cars and trucks emerged as the greatest means of transportation. Each family had a car that was used to travel short distances for holidays or picnics. Affordable trains soon dominated the long-distance travel fort. Jet services have been introduced that can fly higher and faster.
What was it like to travel in the past? Less than thirty years ago, transportation was mainly done by cars, buses, trains, and even boats. While there were some flights, they were typically very expensive. Taking a flight was a luxury. Nowadays, flights rule most journeys and save us time by quickly reaching most destinations.
How was transport different a 100 years ago?
With the advent of the industrial revolution, steam engines were created. These engines were too heavy to travel on the road. This led to the development of the railways. About 100 years ago, the means of transport available were on foot, on horseback, by train and by tram in the cities.
How did people transport in the 1920?
Railways were a popular means of transportation in the 1920s. In addition to transporting people, the trains carried mail and artifacts.
Are there any differences between travelling in the past and now?
Theirs is a big difference in travel days compared to the past because we now have many means of transport to travel to any part of the world in much less time, but before we can’t do it because at that time we didn’t have many facilities to travel, before most people travel using bulk carts, …
Do psychedelics affect memory?
Results: Classic psychedelics produce dose-dependent impairments in the performance of memory tasks, so that low doses produce no harm and higher doses produce increasing levels of harm.
