In my 21 years of living, I have been fortunate enough to visit a few countries, though I still have a long list of more countries to visit. Born and raised in Kenya, it is only too obvious that the first two countries I have visited were Uganda and Tanzania (turn to your map). Let’s just say, by that time I had been on an airplane before. The first time I got on a plane was when I flew to Lusaka, Zambia, for a two-week holiday during the Christmas period, and since then I have had a passion for travel.
When I moved to the United States to study, I realized that every state could figuratively be considered its own country because the states I have visited seem to have a diverse difference. Visiting different countries and states has allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds and has widened my perspective on different issues. Here are ways in which traveling has impacted my life:
1. Time to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
When I first visited Uganda, the first thing I noticed was that the food was different from the typical Kenyan meal. My taste buds, at the time, were what I would consider inexperienced and needed some maturity instilled in them. The staple food in Uganda is plantains, locally known as “matoke.” I had never had “cooked bananas” before, but I should confess that I loved it.
If you are used to eating on a table with a fork and knife, go on Safari, put down a blanket, and eat with your hands. Trust me, it's an adventure, but watch out for the lions.
Food is not the only issue; the language barrier is what I would consider the biggest one. When I first travelled to the U.S., I had a stop-over in Qatar, and almost all the airport workers spoke Arabic. This can be a frustrating experience, especially when you are desperately trying to get to your next boarding gate. However, it made me realize that not everyone in the world spoke English as I would have easily assumed if I had just stuck in Kenya.
2. Patience Becomes a Virtue
When you get on a Boeing 787 to fly across oceans and continents, the first emotion that kicks in is excitement. That is what I felt when I first got on my flight to the U.S. from Nairobi, Kenya .It is only when that flight takes off that it hits you, “I will be on air for about 20 hours and that is not even inclusive of the lay-over.” My lay over in Qatar was 14 hours, so you can imagine the patience one has to gather to last through all that without losing your mind.
Airport lines through security and immigration checks also harden you in some ways. If you are keen enough, you are able to learn a lesson or two from waiting in these lines, which can be one heck of an experience.
3. Language Becomes a Passion
This summer, I had the privilege to travel with my American roommate to Kenya, and you can tell how excited he was to experience a new culture and language. Kenyans do speak English, but the national language is Swahili—Hakuna matata! (Ring a bell?) As soon as we landed, Sergio was all over the place learning essential words in Swahili and noting them down. All I could think of was, "If only he was this passionate about school work!"
In December 2014, I happened to have a lay-over at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. I should note that I was pretty annoyed at first when it was clear that I did not speak French, but the security officials insisted on speaking to me in French. I had to quickly get a French dictionary application when I realized they did not speak English. Since then, I have learned to learn a word or two of the native language of my destination.
4. The Love of Nature
If you love nature, then you have all the reason to pack your bags, get that passport, and travel the world. The Earth is one diverse planet, and not everything you find in Europe is in the Americas or in Australia. Someone from the plains of Kansas would be mind blown if they just drove a few hours west to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and at least it would be clear that diversity can exist even between very close neighbors.
I was so used to seeing zebras and antelopes on Safari trips that my family and I would take when I was a child, but I did not realize how these “common animals” could be considered "cool" by other people. This was only made clear to me when I made a safari trip with my roommate earlier this summer, and it was just amazing how he was infatuated by these creatures.
5. Opportunity to Meet New People and Make Connections
Traveling alone can be very boring, but the more you do it, the more you learn to speak to those seated next to you. Over the years, I have learned to have conversations with fellow travelers, as they too understand how tedious it can be to just stay silent on a 14-hour flight.
Traveling teaches you that you never know who is next to you unless you find out. I have been able to make friends from different countries through travel, and you never know—they may all come in handy someday.
Traveling can be a tedious thing, but every time you get a chance to do so, make the best out of it. We live in a diverse world, and you should take advantage of that fact.
