Traveling is the best way to discover the world. Traveling opens your eyes. Traveling teaches you. After living abroad and traveling for short and long term, I have learnt a lot of things.
The most important thing is that
Everywhere in the world, there are people who like…
- eating
- football (or other sports)
- music
Everywhere in the world, children like…
- playing
- eating sweets
- drawing
Everywhere in the world, people…
- laugh
- cry
- work
- dream
- love
In summary, the world has showed me that
apart from language, clothes, religion and skin color, we – people from different cultures – are not so different from each other.
This is very important, because it implies lots of other things
- Different clothes does not mean nothing in common
- Different language does not mean different dreams
- Anywhere in the world, we can find a friend
Some people are scared of traveling, specially far away from home or to countries with a different culture. No need to be afraid.
- Far does not mean dangerous
- Hospitality exists everywhere
- Most people are good
Everywhere in the world there are more good people than bad, but – also everywhere – the bad ones get more more publicity. How many good news do we see every day? And how many bad news? Plenty of good things happen every day, we just do not know about it.
In India a woman I did not know gave me sweets from the temple. In Laos I spent an afternoon playing sand with some girls. In Cambodia, an old lady invited me to sleep in her place, a woman gave me a free motorbike ride and a bunch of bananas, a man helped me find my way when I got lost. In Malaysia I have made friends that will last forever.
No matter the culture, everywhere I have met people with whom I can talk, laugh, and share experiences. Everywhere, people are eager to show me their best food. When I say I come from Barcelona, a lot of people say ‘hola, ¿como estás?’, and kids jump and shout ‘football! Messi, Messi!’.
No matter where I am, I can feel a connection with people. I might look different, wear different clothes, speak a different language, but I can still laugh with locals and feel complicity. Arriving to a new country always requires some adjustments, but so far, once I got used, I have felt comfortable everywhere. And this is because, at the end, we are not so different.
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Makes you wonder why the world still hasn’t managed to live in peace. Wonderful line of thought, thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Hopefully one day the world will live in peace…
Wonderful post Laia and so true. The bad unfortunately gets so much more attention than the good. There are so many beautiful things happening and lovely people in the world and yet these things are not “newsworthy” – I only glance at the “news” from a distance as it is so negative most of the time (which is not the same as not caring about what happens in the world). I love what you say, “no matter where I am I can feel a connection to people…at the end we are not so different”! Hopefully we will progress and the world will live in peace one day! Happy travels! 🙂
Thanks Rosemary! I hope the world will live in peace one day… I believe realising that we are not so different is the first step. Happy travels!
What a beautiful post! I have been travelling the world for almost a decade now and the one thing I know for sure after that decade is that most people are kind, decent human beings. I have had this message reaffirmed so many times throughout my travels. I wish more people would travel and realize so many fears of far off places/people are completely unfounded.
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that you have met so many kind people during your travels. I wish too that more people would travel and experience this 🙂
Hey Laia superb…you have become a philosopher! carry on…
Thanks Kaushik!
Love this. 🙂 I believe too that most people are good in the world. I am generally shy to strike up conversations with locals in other countries, but the interactions I’ve had, most are positive and I find that most people are so willing to help and share a smile.
Haha it’s the same for me, I’m too shy to approach people to talk to – specially locals – but I usually smile and people smile back and sometimes a conversations starts 🙂
merci Laia de nous faire partager toutes tes expériences et tes emotions.
Avec plaisir! Merci à vous tous pour suivre mes aventures, je me sens plus accompagnée 🙂
How lovely. When our children were young and we travelled with them they would make friends wherever we were. It didn’t matter how different the culture or language was from our own – you remind me of their innocent joy.
Yes! I have often seen children from different cultures playing together, no matter the language. Should be an example for adults 🙂
I definitely agree! All around the world people are all essentially the same despite different cultures, languages and a way of life. Travel definitely helps you to bridge these gaps and helps to understand and humanize the world. It’s not us and them, it’s all of us together.
Yes! it’s all of us together, and I also think we can all learn something from each other…
Una abraçada Laia!
Saluda en Frodo si el veus i per la nit recorda de mirar les seves estrelles, que no són les nostres. 🙂
Hola, gracies! Si, miraré les estrelles, m’han parlat d’un llac on es veu que es veuen molt bé! Una abraçada!
You managed to say everything that I’ve been feeling since I started traveling almost a year ago. Great post!
Thank you! I’m happy to see that a lot of people feel the same way 🙂
Hey Laia,
It’s been such a long time but can’t help thinking of you. I have a lot to catch up on. As far as I can see you have changed the Country again…I love this post though. Thank you for sharing your experience. That recalls us how important it is to be open-minded and how ridiculous it would be to be afraid of travelling that far.
All the best,
Celine
Hey Celine, thank you! Yes, I spent two months in Chile and now I’m in Canada for two weeks. Happy to hear that you share my view, travelling is such a rewarding experience! All the best, Laia