Same Same but Different
Can you believe it? It's now been more than 6 months (over half a year) since I've set out on this journey and taken held of the opportunity to travel around the globe! In some ways it feels like the time has simply flown by in the blink of an eye, while at others, my departure from the life I call "home" feels like a lifetime ago.
It has been sometime now since I've posted a entry with more than just a snippet or new batch of photos of my most recent exploits. Though I've been anxious to convey more, my time has simply been occupied and focused on living the adventures out: Experiencing first, sharing later! Already past the halfway point of my journey I'm due to reveal a thought or two :)
Spanning four continents, 18 timezones, and 16 countries to-date, my time vagabonding around the world has continued to provide excitement & adventure, challenges & growth, new acquaintances made & friendships forged. I've traveled now through western nations, eastern nations, and a few in-between.... By plane, bus, train, taxi, ferry, donkey, camel, boat, tuk-tuk, elephant, motorbike, and by foot... Through Democratic governments, Peoples Republics, Kings Kingdoms, and Communist nations... I've been in nations known as Christian, predominately Muslim, overwhelmingly Buddhist, and devoutly Hindu... And, I have trekked over mountains, along rivers & canyons, across lakes & lochs, across streets & under them, up hills & downhills, above sea level & below, through desert dunes & beach sands, and around both tropical jungles & jungles of the concrete variety. All along the way I've rubbed elbows with people from varying walks of life, backgrounds, color, faith, language, sexual orientation, and culture. To think about all that has occurred in these last few months relative to "normal" life makes me simply lay back in my chair, stare up at the ceiling, close my eyes, wrinkle my brow, smile broadly and whisper to myself "Wow!"
While there are times I wished I had some deeper "earth-shattering" epiphany during these travels, or question wether I should be traveling with a more defined purpose, so far one of the greatest, albeit simple, realizations for me is to know I've arrived at a place where I'm content just living it out: Being in the 'here and now' without over-analyzing and putting a burden of expectation on me or my circumstances. It is pretty interesting to catch yourself in discomfort or fear or potential disappointment and turn it into a "well this is an experience you don't have everyday" or "that's a story that'll blow my friends minds" or you just laugh because of how bizarre the situation you find yourself in is!
As different as the world and the people who inhabit it are, the truth I've come to realize is that we are far more similar than we tend to think. Even when the differences seem unreconcilable and beyond understanding there is great benefit in gaining a respectful appreciation for the differing/opposing idea or way. While there are many ideas I could express here about what I have been thinking/realizing as of recent, there is one main idea that has continued to bubble to the surface - this concept of gained APPRECIATION!
When you are taken out of your routine, your environment, your comfort zone and place yourself amongst strangers in strange places halfway around the world you become "the outsider." Being the outsider requires you to face situations in a different way and calls one to keenly observe the norms of the people you find yourself surrounded by. Seeking to understand new body language, attitudes, religious sensitivities, cultural practices and the like are all part of the daily routine you take for granted you need not concern yourself with in your typical routine at home. And, in examining the practices of others the natural response is to evaluate it against your own ways, opinions, and biases. In a strange twist of irony in seeking to understand others you come to a greater realization of yourself!
We may eat different foods, speak different languages, hold dissimilar values, or adhere to varying spiritual philosophies but, the truth is, we ALL eat, speak, hold things important, and strive to come to terms with our existence. Aside from our governments (and a few nut cases), people universally want happiness, freedom, and bright futures for their people. The slower you move you observe that the changes that make us seemingly so different occur in baby steps: The physical features, languages & dialects, diets, and practices of people morph and evolve ever so slowly from place to place. Fortunately, borders are lines on a map that you fail to see as a traveler on the ground.
Be it cultural, political, religious, or otherwise... there is great value in learning the practice of appreciation (and it's cousin acceptance). Like our human DNA, we are all 99% alike... it is only the last 1% where we become "different." If, we as humankind were able to grasp this truth, I believe much of the problems the world faces could be vastly improved and disagreements rectified. It'd be great if everyone could spend the better part of a year abroad as it helps crush stereotypes & misconceptions and opens your perspective to a whole new level of appreciating our multi cultural global society. As they say here in Asia... "Same Same but Different." Or, think of it this way... We are all "Different Different but The Same!"
Though the road is long and I find myself more consistently yearning for the friends/family/familiarities of home, a return to Indonesia, followed by months in Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti lie ahead. While the rugged traveling into unchartered territory may be over I look forward to the upcoming months of surf & sun. If, in addition to the discovery of new places/faces/experiences, traveling yields the opportunities to break free from the complacency of routine then the natural by-product (and hidden treasure) of travel is the opportunity to think, feel, reflect, ponder, dream, process, and prepare in new ways. I've mentioned it here before, and at the risk of being redundant, I know that much of what I am benefiting from during this time is not necessarily the growth I realize in the day-to-day or month-to-month but the many experiences, ideas, and questions that I will carry with me into my future. My hope is that the concepts of appreciation and acceptance will aid me to become a greater loving, larger thinking, more whole individual.
Beyond agreeing or understanding or disinterest in the very valid views/beliefs/faith of others there lies the act of appreciation; of seeing others for who they are and recognizing their proper value. As stated by one of histories most famous world travelers I leave you with these words of wisdom - "Traveling is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." (Mark Twain)
