On That Note

Okay so remember in my first when I said my three loves were: shopping, singing, and traveling? Well when I was doing my undergrad, in good ole Kenosha, WI, my freshman year I decided to join the gospel choir. We were fortunate to have foreign exchange students and a few happened to be from Tanzania in Africa. I remember we had to rush our passport applications (without showing my age, this was a simpler time lol), since I didn’t actually need one to go to Mexico. Of course this was without a little drama, my parents forgot to give me spending money, but fortunately we flew out of O’ Hare Airport in Chicago, and they were able to bring me money and also give one last hug before I left.

Fast forward through a little airport drama,16+ hour flight, one layover in Heathrow, and a ton of turbulence we arrived in Tanzania. I am going to try and describe it as best as I can to give you all a mental picture. Tanzania was beautiful and green which is the opposite of what I grew up seeing. If you grew up like me you were used to countries in Africa always being portrayed one way: impoverished, with hungry children everywhere and not much else. It was not that at all. The people were so hospitable I hadn’t experienced that much love outside of a family/church gathering. We were fed three times a day. We were featured on a local television network and serenaded by the local choirs (their harmonies were amazing). But it wasn’t all work, we also went on a safari and to a crocodile farm. We even drove alongside Mt. Kilimanjaro.

It was such an eye opening experience.. to travel to the largest continent and break all the stereotypes I grew up seeing was earth shattering. I returned to Wisconsin 2 weeks later with a new outlook on life. That’s what traveling to other countries can do: it can change your mindset, it can change you. I returned more grateful, reassured and happier. Culture is a wonderful thing and surrounding yourself with different cultures helps as well.

Traveling Tip:
GET A PASSPORT! Yes I am yelling if you don’t have one already lol. But seriously, it serves as another identification. And also do you really want to be that friend who misses out on traveling internationally because you aren’t prepared? A passport is $145, this price included the application fees, plus the price of the photos. And they last 10 years so you will easily get your money back in that time. As the world re opens take advantage and go visit somewhere you’ve never been.

Personal Tip:
Remember what I said about different cultures? I have learned so much unintentionally by surrounding myself with people who have completely different upbringings than me. It has helped me learn myself, and also taught me to be more open and sensitive to others. I know it is so easy to dwell in our comfort zone, but when we step out of comfort we are able to grow.