Love Travelling? When in Rome do as the Romans do.
We live and we learn. So goes the saying, as experience shapes our individual lives. Many of us have traveling listed as a hobby on our resumes, but what does that really entail?
I am currently living with an uncle's family and they just happen to be Seventh-Day Adventists. This is of significance because, as an atheist, I typically find myself at odds with religious individuals. I had been fearing how this topic would unfold when it would eventually come up. And it inevitably did come up. Surprisingly, I found a rather seemingly simple way to navigate the waters and avoid a potential conflict that could have left scorch marks on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. The following is a brief journey into my epiphany;
Each place I visit brings a unique blend shaped by the people, geography, and cultures specific to that location and the people in it. Being conscious of, embracing, and enjoying this aspect of traveling made the cookout experience much more fulfilling.
On Saturday, I joined the family for church, half-heartedly at first, but nevertheless enjoyed the experience. Then, on Sunday, I accompanied my niece to a cookout session with a few of her friends from church. I accepted the invitation because I like new experiences, and wanted to see what they were up to. It was just me being me, I like things.
At the cookout, we made chapatis and some exotic porridge. I was initially skeptical about trying the porridge, but then I gradually came to an apprehension; I truly love traveling, and coming to think of it, traveling encompasses much more than just visiting different locations. It involves meeting new people, experiencing diverse cultures, trying new foods, engaging in unfamiliar sports, etc. Each place you visit brings a unique blend shaped by the people, geography, and cultures specific to that location and the people in it.
This works because it shows the locals a high degree of respect and your genuine interest makes you teachable…
Being conscious of this and embracing and enjoying this aspect of traveling is what makes world travelers interact and blend so seamlessly with all kinds of people from around the world. Think of an American tourist spending time with Maasais in the Mara, eating their food and learning their ways for a week, and then being off to some completely unrelated tribe in the Amazon later and repeating the very same experience. To achieve this one has to be fully emersed in the ongoing activities with genuine interest and care not to offend the locals by fussing about their food or their cultural practices, one has to detach from their “norms” and actively become a member of this new society for the moment.
This works because it shows the locals a high degree of respect and your genuine interest makes you teachable…
This works because it shows the locals a high degree of respect and your genuine interest makes you teachable such that as much as you may be unfamiliar with the customs, you don't appear so or feel so. This realization suddenly made me so much more invested in taking part in the activities at hand with genuine interest and curiosity, which made the cookout experience much more engaging and fulfilling. I did not hold myself back anymore, I prayed with them when they prayed and helped with the cooking actively, asking questions where necessary comfortably and also sharing my take on stuff here and there without having to second guess myself or fear that I may be stepping on someone's toes inadvertently. In return, I was also received with open arms and with a genuine openness to hear me out when I spoke out or needed guidance. I was no longer an outsider to the group.
We happily made and enjoyed the porridge, even though it tasted unfamiliar at first, as new things often do to the taste buds. The taste did grow on me after a couple of sips, even had to ask for the recipe so I may replicate it myself later at home, talk of taking in multiple lessons in one class or should I say killing a couple of birds with one stone.
…I can now comfortably participate in all activities with my hosts anywhere, seamlessly blending in. It’s all part of knowing the world and understanding the motivations behind people’s actions, which is an integral part of traveling…
What made this experience even better was the follow-up lightbulb that being an atheist is actually an asset rather than a liability in such situations. Having no religious affiliation allows you, or me in this case, to respect and experience the culture of the locals without feeling like you are infringing on your own cherished beliefs. I am open to studying and appreciating the entire world around me with all that comes with it. With this mindset, I believe I can now comfortably participate in all activities with my hosts anywhere, seamlessly blending in. It’s all part of knowing the world and understanding the motivations behind people’s practices. It is an integral part of traveling. A part that most of us seldom pay attention to.
At the core of the love of traveling, is being open to doing as the Romans do, when in Rome. This seemingly simple realization has opened me up to a world of new experiences, and I am ready to embrace them wholeheartedly. When you spread out your arms to the world, the world really does hug right back!
We live, we learn, and we grow. See you in Rome amigos!
Author: Lucky Griffin
