Every week, I read a blog post from a famous travel
blogger. His pen name is Nomadic Matt,
and his full-time job is traveling the world, writing books and blogs about
each country, and sharing his passion with others. This line was the title of his last
blog. This post continued to say:
“You and I both
know how much of a positive impact travel can have on a person's life. It broadens your mind, changes your outlook on
life, and exposes you to new
ideas.”
And as I was reading through this blog, I kept saying “Amen,
brother!” to almost every sentence. His
blog eventually discusses his non-profit organization that provides
opportunities for underprivileged children to travel on a dream vacation. It’s a really cool organization; you should
check out the website here:
But after reading this post, I realized how much of an impact these
last two years have had on me. Obviously,
I’ve been noticing slowly throughout my time, but it really hit me after I read
his thoughts. I’ve started to see the
world differently, and understand that one culture is not any better than any
other; God makes us all unique and special, and we need to honor that
difference. I’ve realized that it is my
job to be a global citizen and adapt to the situation in front of me, whether
that is shoe etiquette (taking my shoes off at the door, take off shoes and put
on sandals, wear shoes inside, wear socks but not shoes) or proper greeting for
an older woman (figuring out if I should shake her hand, or give her a hug, or
bow, or just say thank you) when she invites me to dinner. I now understand a bit more of why people act
the way they do, and why certain cultures value certain things over
others. All of these things are
incredible, worldview-altering things that cannot be learned staying in
Hershey, Pennsylvania.
All of that being said, traveling has its share of
challenges too. I’ve seen humanity at
its worst, from governmental corruption in Indonesia, to Auschwitz
Concentration Camp, to rude and self-entitled tourists, and realizing the pain
people cause others daily is not easy.
I’ve gotten stuck in awkward conversations about culturally
inappropriate topics, or a major language barrier, or tried to share the Gospel
with someone who had no desire to listen.
I’ve been lost in the wrong part of a city more than once, without a
phone or a motorbike or any confidence in knowing where I was. I’ve also missed deep relationships and small
comforts from home as I’m on the road.
But all of these situations, the good and the challenging,
the amazing and the terrible, have brought me home a completely different
person than when I left Hershey two years ago.
I would be lying if I wasn’t a bit worried about fitting back into my
Pennsylvania community, but I know that who I am now is a emotionally stronger,
relationally deeper, better educated, and more sensitive person than when I left.
Throughout the last few days, I’ve really been thanking God
for the opportunity of these last two years.
I know it was part of His plan to lead me here, and I am eternally
grateful. But I also need to thank you,
for your financial and prayerful support of me as I’ve been overseas. None of this life-changing opportunity could
have happened without you. I look
forward to reconnecting with each of you and sharing more about my
experience.
But for now, if you have the privilege to travel, take full
advantage. Don’t stay in one place for
fear of the unknown; I’ve lived through lots of strange and uncomfortable, and
grown from it; you will too. And if you
have the chance but don’t want to, support those who don’t have a chance,
through the organization above or many other related programs around the
world. Everyone deserves the chance to
experience what I have. I truly believe
that traveling, and the resulting worldview expansion and experiences that
comes from it, is the first step to creating a peaceful, loving world for
everyone. People are all people, and we
are meant to see and love them as Christ does, but how can we do that if we
don’t have the chance to truly know and understand them?
Travel is a privilege, and I’m so thankful for the privilege
of the last two years of traveling the world.
I’m also thankful that I’ll be back to America in less than 24
hours. There is a time and a place for
everything.
But above it all, God is good. All the time.
Luke Forshey
July 19, 2017
PS. If you are planning to travel, I recommend this
blog. His tips and tricks have been incredibly helpful!
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