The Realities of Traveling
>> Friday, August 21, 2009
I have been reflecting on our trip (or trying to at least) so far. I realized all of the pictures and entries on our blog have portrayed the glamour and excitement in traveling. Don’t get me wrong, our trip has been exciting and wonderful, but that doesn’t truthfully represent our entire traveling experiences. Simply stated traveling is hard, stressful, challenging, scary, and unpredictable. No matter how much you try to prepare ahead of time, you don’t truly know or understand what kind of place you are traveling to, the types of people you will meet, and the new situations you will find yourself in.
As the French women we met put it, “the world is our university”. You are constantly seeing, doing, and learning new things. I found this to be overwhelming at first; no actually it is still overwhelming. There are so many new things everyday that you don’t even grasp what it was you just experienced until after the fact.
You have good days and you have bad days. You have up’s and you have down’s. Your limits are constantly tested. This is what traveling is all about though. If you didn’t experience the uncomfortable, unpredictable transportation, the Asian style squatter bathrooms, the not so clean guesthouses with the creepy crawlers and critters, and the mystery meats it wouldn’t be traveling; it would be vacation.
When you look back on your experiences, the things and the days that didn’t seem so good, the times when you were scared and the moments you thought you couldn’t go any further, those are actually what make you a more rounded stronger person. You learn a lot about yourself and of course who you are traveling with while you are learning about another culture. It is a lot to take in and at the end of every day you are exhausted; mentally and physically.
Talking to locals can be one of the most rewarding and helpful things to do when trying to understand a different culture. They are more than willing, almost eager to tell you about their life and their country if you take the time to ask. So far we have found that places where tourism is more prevalent it is easier to overlook the local culture and get wrapped up in the backpacker, traveler scene. I think that is what made Sulawesi, Indonesia so special. The island has not yet been influenced by tourism and you really feel immersed in their culture and way of life.
Meeting other travelers has also been rewarding. It has been eye opening for me to realize so many (educated) people, locals and other westerners alike, known all about the US. They know about our history, politics, and current events. It made me realize how important our role in the world really is and that perhaps I have been living in a bit of a bubble. I have learned a lot just by talking to other travelers about their country and their traveling experiences.
We have been traveling for two and a half months so far. When traveling for this long there are times when you are tired, stressed, jaded of constantly being in a new place every few days, and sick of dealing with the unknown. You say to yourself I’m tired of traveling, I just want to be home where everything is familiar and I can have the things I miss and see the people I know. Then, when you really think about it you know you would be upset with yourself if you left and gave up this opportunity. You have all the time when you return from your trip to have, see, and do the things you miss and know. Surely if I were home I would be thinking about the places I could have been and the things I would have seen. You feel homesick one day, but the next day you arrive in a new place and all of those worries disappear and are replaced with excitement and adrenaline. It is the roller coaster of traveling.
5 comments:
you have a way with words. so wise and thoughtful, you guys represent the homeland well.
when you come back, you have the chance of being called socialists and nazis!...so take your time returning.
Jackie,
I agree with Wisdom Father, your words are very insightful and really reflect the thoughtful person that you are.
A big part of this journey that you and Kevin are undertaking is also to discover new things about yourselves. How you interact in different situations, with each other, how you are perceived, etc. I am sure that neither of you are disappointed with your findings!!!
While these few months are "time off" from a job, remember that you and Kevin are continually "working" as ambassadors to your country, your generation and your families and friends. I am confident that you are serving us well!
I am posting an article I read in the NY Times today...for some reason I thought of you!
Missing you and so proud!!
Love Daddio and Anna
THE BOSS
A Banker for the World
I’M the eldest of seven children in a military family. By the time I was 6, my father was serving the second of three tours in Vietnam. In his free time, he worked with an adoption agency there.
At my Catholic school in Highland Falls, N.Y., there was a poster of a child with a rice bowl on our classroom wall in first grade. I adored my teacher, Sister Mary Theophane, who talked about the idea that “To whom much is given, much is expected.” Between her influence and my father’s work in Vietnam, I became mesmerized with children worldwide.
I studied international relations and economics at the University of Virginia. I paid my way by working as a bartender in the summer and at three part-time jobs during the year. When I graduated I wanted to take a year and do something fun. My parents were smart. Instead of yelling at me, they said that it was a fine idea, but that I should go on a few interviews, for the experience.
I had an interview at Chase Manhattan Bank, and when the interviewer asked me why I wanted to be a banker, I told him I didn’t. I was just assuaging my parents.
The man said that was too bad, because I would have gotten to visit 40 countries in the next three years and learn all about them. I almost died, because that had been my dream. I asked if I could start over. He asked me again why I wanted to be a banker, and I told him that ever since I was 6, it was my biggest dream in life. We laughed. I got a second interview and was offered the job. I started in 1983.
Chase trained me in finance and cash flow and how companies work, and I did work in 40 countries. It was a gift from the universe and the perfect beginning of a career.
I loved being a banker, but I felt that banks were missing an opportunity in not extending their services to more low-income people. I decided to leave Chase and move to Rwanda, where I helped build its first microfinance institution. I also helped start a bakery with six Rwandan women. Their stories became the starting point for “The Blue Sweater,” a book I wrote about how to assist developing countries in building organizations that help their citizens.
The key is giving access to affordable services like clean water, adequate health care and energy sources so they can make their own decisions and change their own lives. That’s where dignity starts.
I returned to the United States to attend Stanford for an M.B.A and heard the president of the Rockefeller Foundation give a speech about microfinance. We started talking and got to know each other. I worked for him for a year and helped start several programs.
In 2001, I started the Acumen Fund, a nonprofit global venture fund. We manage more than $40 million in investments in Africa and Asia. We raise charitable funds and invest in and loan money to enterprises that provide services to low-income people. We use any financial returns to invest in other innovative projects to help the poor.
For example, drip irrigation lets farmers raise production on drought-prone fields. In India, we invested in a company that reconfigured the technology for local farmers. To visit one, I flew from Mumbai to Aurangabad, took a three-hour bus ride, then walked a long time on dirt so dry it cracked. Finally I met a man growing lemon trees and eggplant. He was in his canvas house with his wife, who offered us a meal. Halfway through it, he said he wanted to show me something, and we walked to the concrete slab that was the foundation of the house they planned to build. He has dreams for the first time in his life.
When I turned 44, I received an e-mail from the man who was my boyfriend when I was 16. He had seen my photo in a magazine. He told me that today I’m doing exactly what, at age 16, I said I’d be doing. I may not be doing exactly what I said, but I know I wanted to understand people from other nations and be a bridge between us.
Anna: great article......I loved both yours an Jackie's. Between you, Jackie and Kevin...who needs prime time TV!
Jennie
Realities of Traveling...101.....go with someone you love.....the views are always better and the bad stuff...well it's still bad but it does bring you closer....
love your take on the whole travel experience....looks like you both are learning a lot about yourselves and each other....
I do miss you though.
We're off for France for 2 weeks...first stop Paris!!! then traveling up the Rhone....yes a VACATION...with lots of plush pillows,warm croissants, and tour guides to show us the way
try to get in touch.....
love you
MOM
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