If you don´t already know who he is, Timothy Ferris is a blogger/ author/entrepreneur/experimentalist/ etc etc. He has written two books, and keeps an up to date blog which covers everything from food, language, travel, business start ups, to weight loss. His blog is super interesting, here´s the link if you want to check it out: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/Recently while reading some of his past posts, I came across one that really spoke to me, it´s called "20 Things Ive Learned from Travelling Around The World for 3 Years". http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/10/30/20-things-ive-learned-from-traveling-around-the-world-for-three-years/#more-3306
I felt I could relate so much to this post, as I have been travelling the world for the past 3 years, visiting Mexico, Spain, and now Colombia. Unfortunately it hasnt been continuous travel like Timothy did, however it has been some of the most amazing experiences in my life thus far. So I wanted to share this post for anyone who is even remotely thinking about travelling one day. JUST DO IT!
Travelling the world, changes you. It has the power to make a person more open minded, more understanding, and of course more cultured. Take the risk, and step outside your comfort zone, travel to a place you never thought you would (e.g. me, I never thought in a million years Id ever come to Colombia... but now that Im here, I love it, and so glad I took the risk to come).
There's a few points from Timothys blog post that Id like to highlight and comment on:
#2 The Media Lies:
- TRUE! Case in point: Colombia. It´s so unfortunate the reputation Colombia has currently around the world, which is that it is a drug infested and violent country. Yes maybe 10-20 years ago, but oh how the country has changed! Colombia is NOT what you think it is, it´s so much more. So I cannot not STRESS ENOUGH, how important it is to do your research thoroughly before going to another country. Educate yourself, don´t just assume or listen to stereotypes, you might miss out on a fantastic adventure if you listen to other people... so find out for yourself, do your research and take a risk. you may be pleasantly surprised what you´ll discover about the world.
#10: Culture Matters
- Culture is so important, and so fascinating. One of the reasons we travel is to discover what´s different from our own country. One big thing is culture. It can be as little as greeting someone with a kiss on their right cheek (like they do here in Colombia) or as big as women having to wear traditionally black garbs with only slits for eye sight. One thing, don´t judge until you understand what it means, a lot of people think "oh that´s strange, and weird" but it´s only strange and weird because it´s NOT APART OF OUR CULTURE. There´s a reason behind so many things in the world, and when you educate yourself about them, it can be beautiful the reasons behind some of the things people do.
#12: Everyone is proud of where they are from
- SO TRUE! It´s so great to see how proud Colombians are of their country. They just can´t wait to share with you their culture, food, cities, etc. Just like I am so proud to be Canadian, and am always so eager to share with people here about my country, and the "Canadian culture".
#20: Everyone should travel
- This is the point I cannot agree more with. A lot of people are afraid to travel, or say they dont have the money (see #9 from the blog post) or time to do it. But until you do, you´ll never understand what youre missing, or never understand the world. Travelling is the best way to discover so many things not only about the world, but also about yourself. Not to mention all of the amazing cultural experiences you'll have, and some of the best people you will ever meet in your life. I feel so privilidged for all of the travelling experiences Ive had so far, at such a young age. Im also so glad of the personal decision I made before entering university to learn another language (Spanish). If I hadnt been able to speak Spanish, I would have never met half the people I have, or probably wouldnt have been able to do half the things I have done. This is another great segway to promote learning a language!! It´s so important and beneficial !!!
So check out the full blog post by Timothy Ferris (http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/10/30/20-things-ive-learned-from-traveling-around-the-world-for-three-years/#more-3306 ). It´s a really interesting and insightful read, especially if youre a world traveler like me!
2008 - Mexico
2010 - Spain
2011 - Colombia
2012 - ?.... to be decided.
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