Back in my Loyola
days, I remember all my friends were going to study abroad and being a college
student I also wanted to share the experience at Loyola University in Rome. I
applied for my first passport and bought a new pink suitcase with black
trim. My finances were not great as I
would have to take out an additional student loan to assist with the plane
ticket. Regardless of the finances, I
decided to go and make it work.
After my experience with studying abroad in Rome, I made a vow to be the only person who controls my travel. I will not be influenced by those who have an American mindset to travel, which is built inside a certain standard and expectation for travel. To sum it up, most Americans are afraid of real travel and they stay inside their comfort zones. This is engrained in the culture and it is normal for people to respond in this manner or it is normal to respond with: fear. People are afraid of truly exploring themselves, being vulnerable to a new culture, going off track, going the distance, getting rid of the electronics, staying in a place other than a hotel. The idea of real adventure travel is foreign to many people and the idea of going away for such long periods of time is also foreign.
After my decision,
I then experience travelers DOUBTA-the initial excitement about your
decision mixed with doubt and desire to seek approval from others(PRIS). Therefore, I consulted my mother who immediately
advised me against going abroad. I also consulted
two of my close friends who also said it was bad idea and too expensive. It was a constant, downhill response from my
environment and others around me.
As one could
imagine, this lead me down one path “No.” Something I was so excited about
doing and my adventurous spirit wanting to go abroad and my being and decision was held back by the environment. It is important to note the crowd
can be your friends, parents, co-workers, or classmates-anyone in your
immediate circle or environment. These
people in the crowd are not necessarily the most knowledgable people about new
experiences, money, finance, or world travels yet you are taking your advice
from them.
This is a
consistent problem I notice among travelers.
When you are taking advice from Barbara who has never left the country except
on an Alaskan cruise or Terry who visits Las Vegas and says she travels far or Janet who travels to
Cancun staying in the All inclusives. Houston we have a problem-a big problem.
Within the
American culture, it is normal to have it's own Americanized version of travel.
A person may believe they are traveling, but there is a fine line between vacation and travel. It comes from not only the definition, but the ultimate interpretation of the overall experience (PRIS). A person may have their yearly family vacation where they spend all their time with the family and have no interaction with culture. Another person may travel to India by themselves hike up mountains, eat different kinds of food, stay in villages, and make friends with numerous locals. These are not the same thing and this may lead to someone in your environment steering you in the wrong direction. The only person you can listen to is yourself.
A person may believe they are traveling, but there is a fine line between vacation and travel. It comes from not only the definition, but the ultimate interpretation of the overall experience (PRIS). A person may have their yearly family vacation where they spend all their time with the family and have no interaction with culture. Another person may travel to India by themselves hike up mountains, eat different kinds of food, stay in villages, and make friends with numerous locals. These are not the same thing and this may lead to someone in your environment steering you in the wrong direction. The only person you can listen to is yourself.
After my experience with studying abroad in Rome, I made a vow to be the only person who controls my travel. I will not be influenced by those who have an American mindset to travel, which is built inside a certain standard and expectation for travel. To sum it up, most Americans are afraid of real travel and they stay inside their comfort zones. This is engrained in the culture and it is normal for people to respond in this manner or it is normal to respond with: fear. People are afraid of truly exploring themselves, being vulnerable to a new culture, going off track, going the distance, getting rid of the electronics, staying in a place other than a hotel. The idea of real adventure travel is foreign to many people and the idea of going away for such long periods of time is also foreign.
Who’s going to
take care of my cat?
What is my job
going to say?
How am I going to
afford a long trip and pay my bills?
What if instead of
answering to society or someone else. We just answered to ourselves? What about
YOU?
Do you seek knowledge about yourself on a deeper level?
Do you want to learn about different philosophies and religions, but you never have the time.
Do you seek knowledge about yourself on a deeper level?
Do you want to learn about different philosophies and religions, but you never have the time.
Do you crave
something new, different, adventurous, spontaneous?
Do you want to learn
real geography without a world map or google maps?
Do you need to
complete your sense of self utilizing the world’s tools for discovery?
It is not always about
being responsible to others, but it is about being responsible to you. By being aware to the importance of your own self over the importance of your job- you can take charge of your being and life. You may not be floating in a world of materialism, but having a grasp of your identity and who you truly are and what your want out of life is more important that any pay check can provide.
Take charge of YOU and the rest will fall in
place PRIS
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