Trip preparation on 9-11

9/11/2010

Though we are getting ready to leave in a short 6 days for our trip to Peru and beyond, the historic importance of today has grounded my thoughts in the US. Flipping through the news channels has made it abundantly clear to me that Americans are largely terrified of the world outside the red white and blue. The prevailing theme in our representative voice, the press, has left me worried that Americans are forgetting the mixing pot we have always asserted to be—or perhaps its always been a clam chowder… Regardless, closing ourselves off from those outside of us has further cultivated my desire to experience as much as possible from the scary world beyond the backyard fence.
As Kristin and I gear-up for our trip and prepare for the slight chance of the worst possible scenario, we continually come back to a simple question: why would anyone want to harm two Americans? Granted our clothes and gear from over-priced outdoor shops is valuable, and my camera would fetch a pretty penny online, there is still the underlying fear that someone would hold resentment for just being an American. Watching the news has certainly helped plant that fear of travel and being outside of our tall borders, but my rare upbringing is telling me otherwise.
Finding out that the purported Koran-burning preacher has never traveled outside of the states cemented my resolve that traveling is truly the best remedy for our nations’ uncertainty and irrational fright of our global community. From an individual standpoint, traveling will remind the two of us that our upbringing was rare with its abundance of both love and opportunity. Our similitude and connection with people outside our borders will serve as lifetime reminders that we are all sharing this green and blue planet, rather than serving a red white and blue one. The power of our dollar will carry us to many culturally rich places, and as world travelers, it is our responsibility to carry their wisdom back with us. For how can anyone with a sense of global connection and understanding rationalize the burning of a sacred text? Traveling will etch understanding and compassion into the fabric of our character. My hope and goal for the next nine months is not just to see and meet as many places and people as possible, but to grow into a global citizen whose awareness stretches beyond our borders and into the culture, consciousness, and struggles of others. Or, at least that's the plan!