Thank you, traveling, for opening up my eyes.
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."--Saint Augustine
Everyone says that they want to travel the world someday. And while I'm not quite there, as I have only visited 4 countries, I hope to someday do the same thing. Traveling has definitely opened my eyes to new cultures, delicacies, and ways of life.
Australia is where I left my heart. It was my first time traveling abroad. I don't know what it was about the country, but something made me fall in love with it. From Sydney to Ayers Rock and Alice Springs, to Darwin and Cairns, I have loved every bit of the two weeks I was there. The thing that surprised me was that I loved the outback the most. I love learning about different cultures and histories so learning about the aboriginal people was an amazing experience. It opened my eyes to the things I thought I knew and what I didn't know. For example, they dress like you and me, not in their traditional outfits like I thought they did. Before this trip, I have never hiked or camped, so I was very impressed in myself that I kept up with everyone. Spending a few days without technology was refreshing, too. Being away from the artificial world of social media made me appreciate everything more. I was able to take everything in. We had a chance to try kangaroo. I know what you're thinking, "How could you eat Kangaroo Jack?!" Before you start getting mad at me, understand that kangaroo to them is like deer to us, there are so many of them. And no, it doesn't taste like chicken. It tastes like steak. I honestly wouldn't have known the difference if I didn't know what I was ordering. I was brave enough to try a dish that the locals eat. And to me, that is only part of immersing yourself into a country and its culture.
Until I traveled to Costa Rica, I wasn't completely aware of how concerned I needed to be for the future of our environment. I didn't realize that it was a developing country because to me, when I thought of a developing country I thought of a country in Africa or maybe South America. The country is so lush and green and you can tell that they truly care about it and climate change. They want their children and children's children to have an amazing country to live in, unlike some other countries. Something I learned there was that you cannot flush the toilet paper or anything else in the toilet. You must throw them in the garbage next to the toilet. They also conserve energy in any way they can. Unlike in Australia, I didn't get to try a cultural delicacy. I actually ate mostly spaghetti and chicken fingers.
Nothing could stop my excitement about going to the Galápagos Islands and Ecuador. All debates between religion and evolution aside, it is truly an amazing place to visit. I visited 4 islands: Baltra, Santa Cruz, Isabela, and San Cristobal. Each island being different from the next. Right off the boat, we were greeted with the sea lions and marine iguanas. While I hiked more than I thought we would, the views of the volcanoes and tortoises were worth it. I could now cross snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef (in Australia) and the Galápagos off of my bucket list. The nature, scenery, people, culture, etc. was always great to learn about. We also watched the Ecuador v. Peru game at the local bars. Now that was an experience in itself. Once we got back to the mainland of Ecuador, we flew into the jungle and took a two hour motorized canoe to the Eco Lodge. Experiencing the jungle was something else. I enjoyed the disconnect from the social media world, however, the jungle is still the jungle. The animals were nice to look at but the bugs? Not so much. My favorite part of the jungle was visiting the indigenous village because we got to see their way of life. That was truly an amazing opportunity. Once we got back from the jungle we went to a town called Otavalo. There we were able to see the different markets among other things. Going to the equator and being in both the northern and southern hemispheres was something that most people can say they have done. Again, my time was cut short as it was only two weeks but that just means I need to go back.
Every place I have visited has been eye opening and breathtaking. Without traveling to these countries, I never would have learned the things I did and I never would have grown as a person. Whatever my future holds, I know that traveling must be included.
