FLM
FLM
Fete Lifestyle Magazine
Publisher's Note
Growing up in a small town in Ohio, travel looked a lot different than it does for many people today.
Most of our family trips involved heading somewhere within driving distance. We traveled for family reunions, church retreats, weddings, and celebrations.
One of my earliest travel memories is visiting Niagara Falls. I remember sitting on a park bench and hearing people speaking languages I had never heard before. As a curious kid, I couldn't stop wondering what they were saying.
My first airplane ride didn't happen until I was 17 years old as a college football recruit.
But once I discovered travel, everything changed.
Travel expanded my worldview. It taught me that there are countless ways to live, celebrate, communicate, eat, and connect.
I'm a firm believer that travel is one of the greatest forms of education available to us.
Exposure to different cultures, traditions, and perspectives increases our understanding of people who may not look like us, think like us, or live like us.
Let's be honest. Much of the prejudice, bigotry, and division we see today is rooted in fear, misunderstanding, and a lack of exposure. People often become uncomfortable with what they don't understand or have never experienced.
Travel has a way of changing that.
Today, my two sons have had opportunities I never imagined having at their age. They've traveled to different cities and countries, experienced new foods, learned about different cultures, and developed friendships with people from diverse backgrounds. Both boys have embraced the idea that the world is much bigger than their own neighborhood.
But here's the thing: you don't have to board an international flight or spend thousands of dollars to gain exposure.
Some of the most meaningful cultural experiences can happen right in your own backyard.
Visit Chinatown. Spend an afternoon in Little Italy. Explore a Latino neighborhood. Stop by a Polish bakery, a Ukrainian market, a Jewish deli, or a local farmers market. Try a dish you've never heard of. Attend a cultural festival.
Travel, whether across the globe or across town, has the power to connect people. It builds empathy. It creates understanding. It reminds us that while our traditions and customs may differ, we often have more in common than we realize.
I encourage you to discover something new this summer. Explore a neighborhood you've never visited. Taste a cuisine you've never tried. Learn about a culture you've never experienced.
You may not need a passport to expand your horizons.
Sometimes the most rewarding journeys begin just a few miles from home.
Safe travels,
D.C.
Travel Is Exposure
On the Cover: Jocelyn Osorio
Photograohy: James Gustin
On Location: Lincoln Park,
Chicago, IL