Discover Your Innocence... Abroad
I read somewhere once that, travel is the only thing you can spend your money on that makes you richer. It isn't always easy and it doesn't always go as planned, but with each new place I visit, there is a new piece of me that becomes more refined. There is a part of me that I leave behind and a new piece of me that I discover and bring back.
What I love about seeing the world is that I continually discover what is new. New ideas, new people, new wonders, new flavors and new ways of thinking. I am pretty well versed in geography and global issues since having taken an interest in what lies abroad at an early age. And having spent a year living in another country and making travel a part of my lifestyle, I’ve grown my global awareness and developed a unique set of skills around navigating the globe. But with each new trip and its discoveries I realize how little I know and that I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of understanding life and the world.
Typically when I am about to go on a trip to a new country, I dive into learning as much about the place as possible: the music, food, customs, holidays and any significant landmarks or cultural experiences. I follow a number of social media accounts particular to the country or city I’m going to visit and I try to study a little bit of the language. I even connect with locals online prior to arriving and have made all kinds of friends from around the world. The more I travel, the more connected to the world I become and thus the more meaningful life becomes.
In 1867 Mark Twain took a trip from San Francisco across the globe and wrote about the experience in a book called The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims Progress. It's an epic trip chalk full of the peculiar, comical and astute observations by Twain. It catalogs his journey from a train ride across the United States to the Quaker City vessel he boards across the Atlantic and his journey through Europe and the “Holy Land”.
The book reads as if it was written in modern times which is a testament to both Twain as a thinker and writer but also to the wonder of travel. The essence of what it means to explore the world doesn't change over time, even if customs, places and people do. Like love or pain, travel maintains its identity and it is one that can only be discovered by diving in head first and setting foot out into the unknown.
Sure the historical significance of some places may evolve over the years, but even in 1867 the Roman Colosseum was an ancient wonder of the world and Jerusalem a marvelous city drawing a variety of tourists. But seeing world famous sites or attractions is only a piece of the travel experience. You have to dance to their music, eat their food, discover their art, walk their streets, breathe their air and dive into conversations with them so you can see the world from their perspective. The good thing is you can't escape this experience when you travel. It is required and so that is why travel changes you, whether you like it or not. It opens up the world and teaches you things you can’t learn any other way. It exposes your innocence and helps you unlearn your ignorance.
In his book, Twain writes:
“travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime”
There is wisdom gained from traveling and with the world being a place of ever increasing uncertainty, for me becoming more wise is a premium.
Sunrise Over Machu Picchu
My drive in life is framed around fatherhood and raising my daughters to navigate the world. There are skill sets and types of knowledge that we impart to our children as parents and for me, book smarts was never a forte. So teaching my children to navigate the world by building travel into the fabric of their lives is one of the best gifts I can give them to set them up for success later in life.
I look at it like I’m scouting territory for my kids. I’m out there seeing the world so that as they get older I can not only tell them all about it but I can find the best spots to show them when they’re ready. I’ve never been so excited for someone to experience the wonders of the world as I do my kids. It fills me with deep satisfaction to know that they will get to take in the awe and beauty of a sunrise over the eastern peaks of Machu Picchu or the sunset of the Pacific beaches of Costa Rica. To taste the flavors of Thailand, witness the buzz of Istanbul and smell the thickness of the air in Uganda; all of it is intoxicating and opens the mind in ways no other experiences can.
Additionally, the world is more accessible now than it ever has been before. If Mark Twain can take a journey across the US, Europe and Middle East in the late 1800s you can get on that five hour flight to South America or take that road trip through the national parks.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate or grand. For many people stepping foot outside their state or region may be the first step needed. That’s okay, start where you can. The ruins of Chichen Itza are not any more spectacular than the landscape of Yellowstone or the canals of Amsterdam. Discover what is near you that you have not seen and go experience it. It will change you only for the good.
Spice Market in Istanbul
The world might tell you all the reasons you can’t do it especially in a time of COVID. But I am here to encourage you that you can take that trip to Bali or get on a train through Eastern Europe or backpack Denali National Park. There will be obstacles and there will always be a million excuses not to do something. But life is too short to be sitting comfortably in the same place and nothing worth doing ever comes easy, otherwise everyone would do it.
The beauty of the world becomes more enigmatic with each adventure abroad. It requires a lot but gives back more than one could ever ask for. So, I encourage you to go discover your own innocence abroad and see what mysteries lie out there and more importantly what new discoveries lie within yourself.
