It's now been a month since I tossed my idea into the universe, creating internet ripples that have passed before the eyes of readers throughout the U.S. and radiated to 14 other countries, but the ripples have slowed recently.
Today, one of my students asked me if I've received any more donations. "Nope, I'm still at $10.08," I said. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, one of my students replied, "Mister! Now you really do have enough money to take a trip – to McDonald's."
Once my laughter and the laughter of my students died down, I used the occasion to talk about dreams.
My current dream is that the universe will send me across the globe to share my discoveries with my students and my blog readers; that, hopefully, we can raise some money for charity; and, in the process, that maybe a student or adult will be motivated to pursue his or her own dream.
A few people have called my dream crazy, but I remain confident that I will be going somewhere this summer because I continue to believe that the world is a friendly place. As I told my students today, I have faith that something good is waiting just around the corner.
Many of my students also have dreams, such as graduating high school, having a successful career and raising families. Like me, I told my students that they, too, will face periods in their quest for a dream when the goal seems out of reach and when the ripples have seemingly stopped. Rather than being discouraged, I told them that is the time to push down the doubt and remember that adversity is the price of chasing a dream, but in the end, adversity makes the attainment of a goal all the more satisfying.
Stayed tuned, and thanks for reading my blog.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Why Travel Internationally? - September 13, 2009
Over the years, I've constantly been asked why I choose to travel internationally. Now that I've launched the blog that question is back at the forefront.
There is an easy, surface answer to the question - travel is exciting. There's nothing like the thrill and freedom of journeying to exotic lands to experience sites like the ancient ruins of Rome or the awe-inspiring peaks of the Andes or the intricately-crafted temples of Kyoto.
But the excitement of these postcard scenes wears off after only a few days. It's the experience of interacting with, and learning about, different people and different cultures that remains long after the trip ends.
The real thrill begins when a traveler lands in a locale with an unfamiliar language, an unfamiliar way of doing things and an unfamiliar way of thinking. If the traveler can let loose of a few of his/her preconceptions of how things should be, it's a wonderful opportunity to begin to see the perspectives of others, and it puts the world into a whole new light, while at the same time serving as a reminder that one's own culture is not the only culture.
In addition, I travel because I believe it makes me a better ESOL teacher. I work with students from around the world, especially Latin America. I'm able to empathize and connect better with my students, at least those from Latin America, because I've eaten their food, seen many of their native cities, experienced their cultures and speak their language.
As a teacher, travel has also helped me understand some of the frustration of my students at adapting to a new land. I've felt a little bit of what it's like to be the outsider in a foreign place. For example, years ago, I spent seven weeks in Mexico. One weekend, I visited a family in the countryside. I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent, but it was difficult to detect on that trip because I was using the Spanish vocabulary of a four year old. The low point of the weekend for my self-esteem came when the mother in the family turned to a neighbor and laughed saying, "Él no entiende nada." Unfortunately, I knew enough Spanish to understand that she was saying, "He understands nothing."
Over the years, I've been asked about my philosophy of travel, as well. Like anyone, I enjoy an occasional luxury, but it's far too easy to visit a country and patronize only luxury hotels and luxury restaurants, where English and dollars are the norm, and risk coming away with an experience that might not be much different from home.
I've always preferred throwing on a backpack, traveling on public transportation, and staying in basic, locally-owned accommodations. That way, I feel good about supporting the local economy, and I have a better opportunity to actually get to know and to forge ties with the people who live there. Better yet, a week or two of volunteering is a great way to learn even more about a culture, while at the same time lending a helping hand.
Last summer, I loved seeing the sites of Peru for a month, but it was the 12 days that I spent living with a family in Cusco and volunteering at Aldea Yanapay that made the trip.
Some companies charge thousands of dollars for a "volunteer vacation," but with a bit of homework, it's possible to volunteer oversees for little to no money. I found Aldea Yanapay on the site Independent Volunteer.org.
Now, more the ever, world cultures are becoming interconnected due to the growth of multinational corporations, the explosion of the internet and the ease with which people can jet across the globe. I can think of no better way to promote world understanding and to break down barriers than by getting outside of one's comfort zone by getting outside of one's own backyard.
I've read that less than 30% of people in the United States own a passport. That's ashamed because there are such fascinating cultures out there waiting to be explored. I tell everyone if you have even the slightest thought about traveling internationally, do it.
For me, it's all about one's financial priorities. Possessions come and go, but experiences, like travel, can never be taken away.
Aside from all my reasons for traveling, I think that author Miriam Beard summed it up best when she said, "Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."
There is an easy, surface answer to the question - travel is exciting. There's nothing like the thrill and freedom of journeying to exotic lands to experience sites like the ancient ruins of Rome or the awe-inspiring peaks of the Andes or the intricately-crafted temples of Kyoto.
But the excitement of these postcard scenes wears off after only a few days. It's the experience of interacting with, and learning about, different people and different cultures that remains long after the trip ends.
The real thrill begins when a traveler lands in a locale with an unfamiliar language, an unfamiliar way of doing things and an unfamiliar way of thinking. If the traveler can let loose of a few of his/her preconceptions of how things should be, it's a wonderful opportunity to begin to see the perspectives of others, and it puts the world into a whole new light, while at the same time serving as a reminder that one's own culture is not the only culture.
In addition, I travel because I believe it makes me a better ESOL teacher. I work with students from around the world, especially Latin America. I'm able to empathize and connect better with my students, at least those from Latin America, because I've eaten their food, seen many of their native cities, experienced their cultures and speak their language.
As a teacher, travel has also helped me understand some of the frustration of my students at adapting to a new land. I've felt a little bit of what it's like to be the outsider in a foreign place. For example, years ago, I spent seven weeks in Mexico. One weekend, I visited a family in the countryside. I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent, but it was difficult to detect on that trip because I was using the Spanish vocabulary of a four year old. The low point of the weekend for my self-esteem came when the mother in the family turned to a neighbor and laughed saying, "Él no entiende nada." Unfortunately, I knew enough Spanish to understand that she was saying, "He understands nothing."
Over the years, I've been asked about my philosophy of travel, as well. Like anyone, I enjoy an occasional luxury, but it's far too easy to visit a country and patronize only luxury hotels and luxury restaurants, where English and dollars are the norm, and risk coming away with an experience that might not be much different from home.
I've always preferred throwing on a backpack, traveling on public transportation, and staying in basic, locally-owned accommodations. That way, I feel good about supporting the local economy, and I have a better opportunity to actually get to know and to forge ties with the people who live there. Better yet, a week or two of volunteering is a great way to learn even more about a culture, while at the same time lending a helping hand.
Last summer, I loved seeing the sites of Peru for a month, but it was the 12 days that I spent living with a family in Cusco and volunteering at Aldea Yanapay that made the trip.
Some companies charge thousands of dollars for a "volunteer vacation," but with a bit of homework, it's possible to volunteer oversees for little to no money. I found Aldea Yanapay on the site Independent Volunteer.org.
Now, more the ever, world cultures are becoming interconnected due to the growth of multinational corporations, the explosion of the internet and the ease with which people can jet across the globe. I can think of no better way to promote world understanding and to break down barriers than by getting outside of one's comfort zone by getting outside of one's own backyard.
I've read that less than 30% of people in the United States own a passport. That's ashamed because there are such fascinating cultures out there waiting to be explored. I tell everyone if you have even the slightest thought about traveling internationally, do it.
For me, it's all about one's financial priorities. Possessions come and go, but experiences, like travel, can never be taken away.
Aside from all my reasons for traveling, I think that author Miriam Beard summed it up best when she said, "Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."
Monday, September 7, 2009
A Week of Firsts - September 7, 2009
I continue to be humbled by the reaction to my blog.
To date, the site has gotten almost 600 hits from more than 30 states and ten foreign countries. Also, this week, I received my first donations totaling $10. Thank you! According to a Chinese proverb, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Hopefully, these ten dollars will help me take the first steps of my own 1,000-mile journey.
As promised, I will provide you with monthly financial statements. The first one will appear in October. Since I had no donations in August, my accounting friend didn't post a September statement.
This week, I also received another form of generosity from a reader in Australia. His name is Marcus Endicott. I've never met him and knew nothing about him until a couple of days ago, but through a series of ripples, he came across my blog and decided to share my story with his 2,000-member travel site (See comment section under "The Ripples Spread").
It turns out that Marcus is an internationally-known travel writer and authority on sustainable tourism.
Was it a coincidence that Marcus came across my blog? I'm reminded of the words of Joseph Campbell who said, "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls." Thanks, Marcus, for opening up a new door.
Frequently, I tell my students to follow their dreams because anything is possible. I know that there are other people out there with dreams of their own. Maybe it's time to follow your own bliss and trust that a friendly universe will support your dreams.
Because this is a universal undertaking, I have decided to add a translation program to the blog. The program features more than 30 languages. I hope this will make the site more accessible.
Again, thanks for reading my blog, and thanks for your generosity.
To date, the site has gotten almost 600 hits from more than 30 states and ten foreign countries. Also, this week, I received my first donations totaling $10. Thank you! According to a Chinese proverb, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Hopefully, these ten dollars will help me take the first steps of my own 1,000-mile journey.
As promised, I will provide you with monthly financial statements. The first one will appear in October. Since I had no donations in August, my accounting friend didn't post a September statement.
This week, I also received another form of generosity from a reader in Australia. His name is Marcus Endicott. I've never met him and knew nothing about him until a couple of days ago, but through a series of ripples, he came across my blog and decided to share my story with his 2,000-member travel site (See comment section under "The Ripples Spread").
It turns out that Marcus is an internationally-known travel writer and authority on sustainable tourism.
Was it a coincidence that Marcus came across my blog? I'm reminded of the words of Joseph Campbell who said, "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls." Thanks, Marcus, for opening up a new door.
Frequently, I tell my students to follow their dreams because anything is possible. I know that there are other people out there with dreams of their own. Maybe it's time to follow your own bliss and trust that a friendly universe will support your dreams.
Because this is a universal undertaking, I have decided to add a translation program to the blog. The program features more than 30 languages. I hope this will make the site more accessible.
Again, thanks for reading my blog, and thanks for your generosity.
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