One thing that I have learned during this journey is that traveling for two months--especially without a return ticket home--is completely different from a long vacation. The mental space is entirely unlike that of a vacation. On this trip, the world seems small and possibilities seem limitless. If I woke up tomorrow with a sudden overwhelming urge to see Thailand, I could be in Bangkok by the end of the week. Nothing is stopping me. This is no mere vacation. My first thought when I wake up in the morning isn't how many days I have left before I have to go home. For once, I don't have to try to use two precious weeks' holiday to balance desperately needed R&R with a desire to explore and discover new things. My options and plans and timelines are all fluid, which is allowing me to be fully present where I am, without worrying about how I'm allocating valuable time. It's novel to me and I love it.
Besides the length of the trip, being alone has brought certain benefits as well. I had never given it a lot of thought before, but traveling slowly and alone is probably the single best way to encounter a different culture, short of actually living in it. Especially in Morocco, but also in Spain and Italy, traveling by myself and never being in a rush has made me very approachable. People have been so friendly and open, and their unhurried conversations on trains, in cafes, in shops, and in guesthouses have opened up new worlds and ideas for me. I made friends in Morocco who told me all about their upbringings and their religious faith and their beliefs about education and family, and they were interested in hearing how my outlook was different from theirs. I seriously cannot think of any experience I would rather have had than participating in those conversations.
Mark Twain said "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." I don't think that's entirely true, and I would certainly never assert that my travels have eradicated those characteristics in me, but wow traveling is good at challenging assumptions about people and cultures. I know it's a pipe dream, but if more Americans traveled in Muslim countries and vice versa, I think it would do so much to reduce tension and misunderstandings between our cultures. After being in Morocco for a month, I would be the last person to try to minimize the cultural differences: they are big and sometimes they chafe. But if you can talk about them over a cup of mint tea with somebody you genuinely like and respect, and who seems to genuinely like and respect you back, it helps to put differences in perspective, setting them against so much that we share in common. I think it would make everybody just a little less susceptible to leaders who try to teach us to fear each other. In both cultures, by the way.
In any case, these two months have disappeared much too quickly. But for as short a time as it has seemed, some of the things I've seen and learned will stay with me permanently. I think that the time I spent in Morocco will forever affect my sense of gratitude for my own life. Traveling alone has made me more self-reliant and flexible and outgoing. It's made me more decisive and comfortable accepting full responsibility for my choices. The protracted time away from my old routine has shaken me free of so many ruts; I try new things every day now. Also, I am a marvel at packing now. :)
Before I sign off, I want to extend my thanks again to the people who have helped make my trip possible. Paul, I'm so grateful to you for taking care of the house and the dog while I'm away! Mom and Dad, thanks for your unflagging encouragement and moral support, and thanks for taking all of my calls. :) Thanks to Jane, Janet, Mark, Brian, Stan, and all my other friends for your emails and all the Facebook love--I would be so lonely without all of you keeping in touch. Thanks a million, everybody!
On to month three! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment