Added Value: Traveling

   

     The trip was planned a year ago. The airfare was paid six months ago. The vacation was finalized three months ago. The scheduling & school adjustments were made 2 months ago. The Hurricane hit a week ago. Family moved in with us one day ago. And tomorrow we fly out for our long-awaited, very delayed 25th Anniversary trip to the Southern Caribbean. I will have my laptop and some kind of internet connection, but I just may miss a few days of blogging. Don't worry though, I will post travel photos, thoughts from people watching, cultural differences, and other important things while I'm gone. (And in October, I may have another 30 day challenge.)

     One of the unknowns about our trip is our first destination. We were supposed to stop at Grand Turk, and the itinerary says that hasn't changed. I know from what I saw on television that the island was hit very hard by a Category 5 about 8 or 9 days ago, so I don't know what to expect. Maybe they'll change our trip by the time we depart, or maybe they'll still go hoping to bring some aid and resources to the devastated island. That will definitely make for an interesting post once we've been there and left, with time to reflect, either way.

     When was the last time you traveled (even just regionally?) What did you notice that was different about the people where you went? What was the same? How would you have to adjust your life to live there? How would someone there have to adjust to live where you live?  It's questions like these that make us stop and think about others instead of just focusing on ourselves. Imagine if everyone began to really understand and get to know people that were different from themselves. That would change so much in the world. There would be understanding, grace, mercy, and even in bad scenarios, it would make people appreciate what they DO have. And that could make the world a better place.

     I believe traveling is such a great way to learn about people. We're all made up of different customs, values, beliefs, attitudes, and perspectives. Being able to see those differences first hand help shape us, make us more understanding that even when the differences are huge, in the end we're all still "people".

     I'd love to hear from you. If you could travel 1) Regionally where you live, 2) somewhere else in your country, and 3) globally - where would YOU want to go? What would you want to see? Let us know on here. Maybe together we can set new directions for our lives that includes traveling.