What can you do in 40 hours? The first thing that comes to mind is probably the 40 hours or more most people spend at work each work. However, I spent 40 hours – nearly 2 full days – in transit to and from Lagos, Nigeria. My journey started in Houston, TX and took me to London, England, then Cairo, Egypt before finally landing in Lagos, Nigeria. The return trip followed the same route, except I bypassed London for a stop in New York before touching down in Houston again.
One of the questions I’ve heard many times since returning home is, “Does being in Africa make you appreciate home more?” or some variation. That question slightly irritates me because it says something about the inquirer’s perspective of the world outside the US borders. It implies that living in the US is better than living somewhere else, when really it’s just different. Not better or worse.
"A child who has never left home says, my mother is the best cook." - Ugandan proverb
I love and appreciate where I am from and the people who nurture and support me at home, but I also realize that there is so much more in the world to learn and appreciate too. My voyage to Africa showed me that family is more than just blood ties. It is about people coming together to celebrate life and love while also supporting each other when it seems love is lost and life is gone.
My hope is that people who read about my travel experiences will be reminded that there is a whole world outside of your house just waiting to be explored and revered, not dominated, conquered, colonized, crusaded, or made to look like you. That outside world could be 5 miles or 5,000 miles from where you live, but it is just waiting on you to venture out and see it just as it is, in all its beauty. I believe that by visiting new places and opening our eyes to the people around us, we become more human. We stop seeing “aliens” and “those people”, and we start seeing “them” as our brothers and sisters – part of our extended family. "They" becomes "we" and "us", and "you" becomes "me". When they hurt, we all hurt. We are not islands. We are like leaves on branches that aggregate to form trees, and we – the entire human race – are a great forest. If the leaves on the American trees are diseased, then it impacts the Brazilian trees and the Cambodian trees, etc.
Those who know me personally know that I am a bibliophile. I read a wide range of books from fiction to nonfiction, but people are usually shocked when I tell them my favorite is a book by Dr. Seuss – “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”. I believe it is a book for children as well as adults because its message is universal. That message is: The world has a lot to explore and learn and you can do anything if you take the limits off of yourself. There will be challenges, but you can face them and overcome. I try to introduce people, especially children, to traveling in their minds first by reading, and hopefully, that will lead to them traveling physically.
My wish is that other people will read about my experiences and be inspired to take a road trip, get a passport, eat new foods, learn a new language, and see the world. Go places!
My friend, Patricka, travels extensively around the world. Vote for her to have her own travel show on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Vote here.
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