Throughout this journey, you will see a lot of things but will experience very little. It will be like waking up from a night full of dreams only remembering certain things and assigning to them special feelings and emotions. In this journey, you will remember most the events that were closest to you. You will remember situations that you may have felt most alive. Maybe you felt vulnerable and unwanted. Maybe you felt strange and insecure. Maybe you felt loved. These are the events that will be part of you in this journey. The rest of the journey will be a character building experience that will be part of your memory for ever.
No matter where you go, and no matter who you interact with, you will always be you. Your DNA will not change because you go to a different location. You will always have a special lens that you see the world through. Your feelings and emotions, and your attitude will accompany you everywhere you go. If you are taught that poor people are dangerous and unhappy, that is what you will expect. If you are taught that a certain culture is backwards and oppressive towards women, you will look for those qualities to match to your expectations. The good thing is, you will only be exposed to your own ignorance and will be enlightened. Your lens will become enlarged, and the details will become clearer.
One of the greatest things about experiencing different cultures around the world is you will be exposed to new experiences. You will learn new things about the world around you and yourself. You will see first hand what motivates people who have different opportunities in life. Your knowledge of the world, people, and different cultures will increase. You will see people live and behave differently. You will have first hand experience of societal structures and discover new social norms and lifestyles. This journey will change your perspective and reshape your personality. It will make you thankful for everything you have and humble you. It will remind you that in the grand scheme of things, you are a tiny spot in the universe almost undetected compared to the other many spots, yet important.
Traveling to a different country and experiencing a new culture gives you a new perspective about the world around you. You no longer are the center of the world, but you are part of a bigger world which you knew not. How you see yourself changes. Things that you once considered important for your future may no longer be considered necessary for your happiness. Being exposed to different cultures where electricity is not always available, and where there is no functioning plumbing or lack of Internet and transportation, humbles you. You get to witness with your very own eyes how children who lack resources use their imagination to create toys from whatever resources they have at their disposal. All of a sudden you realize that happiness is not in things we have, but the attitude we have with the things we lack.
Traveling the world allows you to become a more social person. You become open minded about people and cultures who view the world differently from you. Your exposure to different cultures allows you to have better relationships with people who do not see the world the same as you. You learn to understand better people's motivation and respect their differences. You become more open minded, and informed. Exposure to many cultures arms us with better judgement in dealing with propaganda, hate, and ignorance which the media shoves in our faces daily.
We were not created to hate each other. We were not created to disrespect and belittle those different from us. God created us so that we may know each others differences and find friendship, love, and help in each other. In the Qur'an God specifically says: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. [Qur'an 49:13]"
From the above verse, we learn that God created all of us differently with unique skills and abilities. Each person has been blessed with something unique to contribute to the world. Everyone has been numbered and has been assigned a purpose. In each person, there is a skill or ability that is not defined by their skin color or race, but by their creators fingerprints whom we all share. With all our physical and cultural differences, God has made it very clear that our created differences are His choice, but our actions are our choice, and determine our righteousness. Therefore, it is very important that we become travelers of the world and recognize everyones differences and our own uniqueness. If all of us took the initiative to learn about the world around us, we will no longer put much importance into political issues that divide us. We will no longer allow the media to feed us incomplete and pre packaged information to influence us. We will be equipped with experience and knowledge to break social and cultural stereotypes that deprive us of love and happiness.
-F.D