Lydia Laur is a student at Red Land High School and an intern in the summer program sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg and PennLive
The world we live in today feels increasingly divided by politics, race, culture, religion, and class. But what if there were a simple change that each one of us could make to begin bridging such a significant divide? Perhaps that change is to travel, to willingly abandon the bubble of your community and enter someone else’s
As a high school student, I observe every day how much of an echo chamber we exist in. We go to school with people who look like us, follow people on social media with the same beliefs as us, and cling to what we know is safe and comfortable.
While I understand that feeling comfortable is important, never stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to greater dangers. We risk creating a blindness, an oblivion, and an inability to witness the richness and beauty of the world beyond our immediate surroundings.
Even more concerning, we will begin to lack awareness of others, what they value, what hardships they face, and what good they have to offer this world.
Luckily, I have been blessed to have parents who prioritize being able to travel. They have given me the opportunity to experience new places, cultures, and people that I never would have been exposed to in the walls of my native community. I have come back from every trip changed.
Sometimes change happens in small ways, like learning a new phrase, or liking a new type of food, but often in much bigger ways. I have become more patient, more open-minded, and willing to listen.
When you step foot into a new, unknown place, it forces you to see things differently, from a new perspective. You begin to observe how different people interact, behave, and live their own lives. It makes you realize that your way of life is just one way, not the way. This is one of the most powerful realizations a person can have. It allows you to feel a sense of empathy towards these people and cultures you were once unfamiliar with, ones you might have even judged before.
In school, we learn about some of these big global issues such as poverty, human rights, pollution, and conflicts. But it isn’t until you witness these things firsthand that you realize how serious these problems are. It is something you won’t be able to witness without leaving your bubble.
Let’s be clear, I understand that traveling to a foreign country may not be a realistic option for everyone. Nevertheless, travel can encompass a wide range of experiences. Travel doesn’t have to mean crossing oceans or boarding a plane. Traveling can be road tripping to a neighboring state or volunteering in another community. It can also mean just visiting different Pennsylvania cities.
No matter how near or far the destination is, each experience has the power to expand your understanding of the world around you.
At a time when misinformation and fear of the “others” are increasing, travel has become more and more necessary. It challenges stereotypes, humanizes those we’re meant to fear, and it proves that beneath the surface, people everywhere are more alike than different.
When we are able to travel, the world will become a little less intimidating and a bit less divided when we step into it with not just our feet, but with our minds open.
I urge you to seize any chance of travel that comes your way. Regardless of distance, the individuals you meet and the experiences you gain will positively impact your life. Each time we decide to explore beyond our immediate reality, we contribute to a world more rooted in empathy rather than judgment.
