April 28th

   1.    Is travel good for us? That's kind of a vague question. Certainly, it's easy to imagine situations where travel is definitely not good. For example, it would be very bad if I left my ailing mother or something just so I could go and travel. Sometimes, travel might contribute to environmental degradation and increased economic inequality. However,  travel can also be quite good. By traveling, we can get out of our familiar comfort zones and see the world as it really is. We can get a better sense of the world around us and our place within it, dispelling irrational prejudices and misconceptions. For sure, there are much more important things than travel, but sometimes it can be just what someone needs in order to shake up their life. 

         This idea of travel as a means of personal growth and learning is exactly what Rick Steves proposes in his book Travel As A Political Act. He specifically goes over his philosophy of travel in the introduction and first chapter. One of the most interesting parts about this first section is just how morally and politically charged Steves is. For example, he often talks about politics such as "[our] solemn commitment to protect Israel's security," (page 20) or "ethnic underdogs" (page 18). This is a very different approach to the traditional travel book, which essentially tries to placate the desires of the reader. So, I appreciate how opinionated Steves is, even if I disagree with some of his takes. 

2.     The most culturally eye-opening moment I have ever had while traveling was going to Mexico last year to see my cousins who live in Baja California Sur. Even though they are technically Mexican, they are, make no mistake, very rich and very white. Because of this, most of our time there is spent in rather nice conditions. However, one day, my family decided to go into town to a restaurant. The experience of driving into town opened my eyes just to how poor so many of the natives there lived. Ramshackle housing, broken glass, dirty roads, etc. I, being from East Cobb and therefore extremely privileged, had never seen anything like this before and was aghast. The people down there deserve so much more.