The joys of traveling, that excited anticipation for a change from the mundane, a break out from expected routines of the day to day. You think about what historic sites you will visit, what ethnic street food you are going to indulge in, or what local handicraft you will buy that special someone. (If you’re keeping track, I like Italian leather shoes.)
When captured, these photo-worthy events amount to a slideshow of memories, highlights of a trip you won’t soon forget. The highlights that can help you relive the vivid colors of a far away place. For me, the true reward of traveling comes from the in-between moments of the day — those quiet observations of others engaged in their cultural habits, different, and yet similar to mine, the random encounter with a stranger offering a glimpse into his world. All these experiences influence the way I choose to live my life when I return home again. These unpredictably profound meanderings of travel educate and inform new perspectives in my own life. It takes leaving and returning home to help me appreciate my own life’s meaning and purpose.
Like Dorothy dreaming of escaping her simple Kansas life to discover all the world has to offer, after much adventure, she realizes the important weight of her home and family as she chants, “there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”
As a dancer, touring different countries, performing in grand cities and small towns alike, it is hard to enter a new environment without expectations of another great trip. It is not until I hit the ground that I am humbled as I witness how much there is to learn from other people. My foreign interactions have been invigorating and have brought me a heightened awareness, which has been influential in changing my life and embracing the unfamiliar. Allow me to share just a few experiences that illustrate exactly what I mean:
On a trip to Northern Africa, I learned that dance is not really an acceptable career choice for some cultures. A lot of aspiring dancers there have to hide their love for dance from their families to avoid bringing shame upon the family. I had the opportunity to teach some of these brave individuals who snuck out of their houses to come take our dance workshops.