Traveling
Evaluate the same way as before this version:Since I can remember, I’ve loved traveling. But why? As I got older, I found my answer on a street in Uruguay, watching locals go about their day. I realized what I truly enjoyed: talking to people, visiting both famous and “insignificant” places, and wandering without a set destination. These experiences had one thing in common—they taught me about culture. This deep interest in understanding other cultures brought a new perspective on the world around me.
According to Adam Galinsky, travel “increases awareness of underlying connections and associations.” That makes sense. When we travel, especially to places with very different cultures, we are faced with a wide range of perspectives in pretty much everything. But does simply being in a different country create cultural awareness? I don’t think so.
Traveling somewhere new doesn’t mean understanding its culture. When we are faced with different cultures, it is easy to feel discomfort and wish to stay in our own cultural bubble. If we only stay in our hotels and Airbnbs, visit exclusively tourist attractions, and only talk to other tourists or people who are trained to deal with tourists, we won’t have a sense of what the place actually is.
When we step outside our comfort zones, explore beyond tourist attractions, and acknowledge both the beauty and struggles of a place, we gain a deeper understanding of it. Seeing how people approach daily life—their routines, their challenges, their solutions—can be eye-opening. Sometimes, it even changes how we live our own lives.
Travel exposes us to ingenious solutions to universal challenges. In Cape Town, tin houses prevent fires. In Brazilian favelas, cardboard and wood lower construction costs. In Lesotho, round mud huts regulate heat sustainably. These differences show how culture shapes problem-solving—and how we can learn from each other
Travel also shifts our perspectives on what we assume is “normal.” Many things that feel obvious or natural at home are seen differently elsewhere. If we reflect on what we experience, every trip has the potential to change our minds about something.
After visiting Uruguay, I began questioning why my Brazilian state’s culture felt closer to Uruguay and Argentina than to northern Brazil. So why do borders divide us? I realized we are more connected than most people think. This revelation deepened my passion for cultural understanding and human rights. No matter where someone is born, no one is above or below these.
Many people see borders as barriers. But in reality, the world is one interconnected sphere. With globalization, the internet, and climate change, what happens in one country affects us all. I can call my parents from Japan, and they will see me live on their phones in Brazil. I can toss a water bottle in the U.S., and it might end up in China. We need to recognize this reality—we are not isolated nations but one global community.
Travel changed my worldview forever. So why should I limit myself to learning only about Brazil’s history and traditions? Yes, I was born here. But if I had been born a few hundred kilometers to the west, I would be Uruguayan. Would that make Brazilian traditions any less worthy of my knowledge? I want to understand Indian holidays, South Korean celebrations, Irish traditions—everything.
I am fortunate to have a passport that allows me to take my learning beyond books and videos. If I save enough money, I can physically visit the places I study. But what about those who can’t? What about people who are denied entry to certain countries simply because of the place on their birth certificate? Seeing firsthand the privilege of travel made me realize how unfairly limited it is. Everyone should have the right to experience the world beyond their borders.
But through this realization, I also saw that travel isn’t always a choice. When we think of traveling, we often imagine going to a faraway location for a relatively short period of time as a tourist. But there are other types of traveling. Sometimes, when we travel, it is a one-way journey.
Migration is the most extreme form of travel. Some move to study, to work, or to be with someone they love. Others, however, migrate out of necessity. You have to leave the place you live because of terrible circumstances. These people see traveling with completely different eyes. It is not a vacation to look forward to—it is imposed. It is not a relaxing trip—it is dangerous. And oftentimes, they are not welcomed but instead met with, “You are stealing our jobs!” or “Get out of here!”
When I worked as a teacher for Zimbabwean kids in South Africa, whose families had fled from poverty, I had the privilege of knowing amazing and loving children who were eager to live in South Africa. However, by talking to locals, I discovered that the South African government was going to mandate all Zimbabweans to leave the country by a stipulated date. Thinking about how those loving kids were treated by locals just because of the side of the border they were born on broke my heart.
Realizing how something I love so much can be a living nightmare for others made me realize I need to do something. I decided to study international relations in university and dedicate my life to helping refugees.
Travel changed my worldview forever. So why should I limit myself to learning only about Brazil’s history and traditions? Yes, I was born here. But if I had been born a few hundred kilometers to the west, I would be Uruguayan. Would that make Brazilian traditions any less worthy of my knowledge? I want to understand Indian holidays, South Korean celebrations, Irish traditions—everything.
Travel can change the world. And it can change you. If you leave your biases behind and open yourself up to learning something new, you never know what might happen.
Travel transformed me. So, how will it transform you?
By: Isabela Back Hans
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