And I Think To Myself, What a Wonderful (but Sometimes Scary) World
Learning the Journey from Bean to Cup in Colombia's Beautiful Coffee Region
It’s a wondrous, gorgeous world out there just waiting to be explored. So why are so many of us afraid of it? Why do so many people choose not to travel? Why do less than 40% of Americans hold valid passports and only one in five individuals travel abroad regularly? Yes, there are the obvious obstacles of money and time; I’m certainly not naive to that. And there’s the having children situation, too. In regards to those three issues, the travel cards are surely stacked in our favor. So yes, we definitely have many advantages when it comes to traveling, but here’s the thing: we also make travel a priority and choose to allocate a good majority of our time and money towards it. But I get it. Money, time and children are real valid factors and I am not dismissing any one of them. I also get that some people just don’t really care about traveling internationally. There’s plenty to see in the United States…I’ve heard this so many times and I get that, too. We are lucky to live in a country where our backyard is as diverse as it gets. I love traveling domestically and have been fortunate to have seen quite a bit of our stunning nation and there is still so much of this spectacular land that I cannot wait to dive into and experience. So I get it…there’s so much to see right here in the good ol’ U. S. of A…why go anywhere else?
A Quiet Moment in Fez as a Worshipper Enters One of the City's Historic Mosques
But I think there’s more to it. So many of us are terrified of this world. And to an extent, we are, too. We just refuse to live our lives in fear and deny ourselves the glorious gifts that travel has afforded us. Through travel, we have experienced incredible places that we could have only dreamed of and many only read about. We have become exposed and subsequently open to other cultures and customs, and have met countless individuals who have left lasting impressions on our lives. Moreover, we have formed wonderful friendships while traveling throughout faraway places like Turkey, Egypt, and Argentina. To say that we are forever indebted to this magnificent world of ours is a serious understatement.
Cappadocia's Dramatic Valleys, Rock Formations, and Cave Dwellings Create One of the Most Unique Landscapes on Earth.
Except that sometimes there might be. By only choosing those “safe” destinations, we sometimes limit our experiences and put suffocating restrictions on ourselves. Not only do we deprive ourselves of so much of this glorious world; we are ultimately letting our fears win. Now please don’t misconstrue what I’m saying. I am by no way implying that travelers should abandon all reason and sense of judgment and forgo exercising some good old-fashioned common sense. The reality is turmoil, political instability, and terrorist acts continue to plague our world and are not going away anytime soon. Some places are downright unsafe and unwise to visit, even for the most intrepid traveler. So while I’m fairly certain that we won’t be visiting North Korea or Syria anytime soon, I am very confident that we will continue to occasionally travel to places that may make some people scratch their heads and question our choices. And we’re absolutely okay with that.
Savoring Local Delicacies at a Bustling Night Market in Stone Town, Zanzibar
When we decided to couple our summer visit to our Dominican Republic home with a trip to Colombia, we received a myriad of reactions: Colombia?! Is it safe? Aren’t you afraid of being kidnapped? You mean, like Narcos? Isn’t that the country with all the drugs? Our friends joked that they were ready and willing to set up a GoFundMe account just in case we were kidnapped. Our other friend shared a story in which her husband’s friend had been kidnapped in Colombia years before (turns out it was Peru–which we found incredibly safe and welcoming during our trip over ten years ago). So while our friends meant no harm, and were (mostly) joking, I would be lying if I didn’t say we weren’t a bit rattled by their statements–particularly T. When we arrived home that night, T was convinced that we should cancel our trip and make other plans. Thankfully I reminded T that our friends, along with so many others, were solely basing their reactions on things like Narcos and Colombia’s sordid history and its (sadly) lingering dark reputation. I assured him that Colombia today is very different than Colombia ten years ago. We had never let others’ opinions of our trips (or life choices for that matter) influence us before and we weren’t about to start now.
Colorful Cartagena
But here’s the thing. While we were falling in love with “turbulent” Colombia and feeling as safeguarded and free as could be, numerous horrific events were happening around the world–many in those beloved places that we often identify as “safe”. From the devastating attack in Nice, to the horrendous train stabbings in Germany, to the atrocious mass shootings in our very own home country, we couldn’t help but want to cry at the irony. Weren’t we the ones in the country filled with drugs, kidnappings, and corruption? Weren’t we the ones practically risking our lives by traveling to crime-infested, gang-ridden Colombia? So how was it that we felt so protected, so shielded, while so many others in those “secure” countries had suddenly become innocent victims of senseless acts of terror?
When we shared our travel plans for France in 2007 and Germany in 2013, not once were we met with warnings or disapproving looks. Not once did someone question our choices and try to dissuade us from going. Nope. Not one single time. Why? Because these are the places that we’ve deemed as “safe”. These are the places that we see as “comfortable” and “similar” to the locations that many of us call home. And typically they are exactly what we perceive them to be and they are absolutely sublime. We quickly fell in love with both France and Germany. Since that first trip, we've returned to France several times and look forward to revisiting Germany in the future. We are proud and feel extremely fortunate to be able to call the United States our home. This post is not about trying to convince you that these types of destinations should be avoided. Quite the contrary. This post is about trying to convince you to see the beauty and visit both kinds of destinations: the conventional, often-visited places and the out-of-your-comfort-zone, road-less-traveled places. Both kinds of places surely promise rewarding, memorable and life-changing experiences.
Our Most Recent Trip to France Took Us to the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur). The Antithesis of Roughing It.
Some of travel’s greatest gifts involve gaining perspective, challenging assumptions, and discovering that despite our differences, people around the world share many of the same hopes, dreams, and desires. Every journey has taught me something new, not just about a destination, but about myself. Whether your next adventure takes you across the ocean or across the state, I hope you'll remain curious and open to exploring the world around you. It's a remarkable place, and some of life's most meaningful lessons can be found just beyond the boundaries of what is familiar.