| One night while I was having trouble getting to sleep, because of thoughts running through my head, I penned the following in my personal journal. Maybe you find it interesting.... Friday 9/28/01 11:00pm Why do we travel? This was a question posed to us often as we seemingly planned to abandon our lives to see the world. It is now a much more powerful question in light of the recent attacks on America. I am sure that the day to day operations of the U.S.A. has changed. There is talk that the world will never be the same. The event has brought out much national pride in our country I am told. People have come together with passion and resolve to not let the terrorists win. Being in a different part of the world has colored our experience differently than had we been at home. This is why we travel. We have talked with people from Isreal who have been raised and live and work in daily fear. Our restaurant manager( who you met in ourlast journal update) tells us stories of working with the United Nations to bring safety to the people of Cambodia as they fled the Khmer Rouge. Today, in a more peaceful Cambodia, 20,000-30,000 people die yearly because of the landmines left behind. These people live, work, and raise their families in daily fear. A fellow traveler named Luc, from France, talked of traveling through Mynmar. Native people offered him comfort in their homes and Luc had to decline because of the trouble it would bring the family from the government. Has the world changed? Or has the world changed for us? Did the world suddenly become a place of terror, or has the world suddenly infringed on our Camelot? People here and fellow travelers do not ask us if we are going home. They assume that we will keep traveling. Life goes on in the rest of the world. They deal with the fear in their world and perservere. They learn to read the signs, build friendships, and continue on. The tradgedy is not telltale of an evil world. It is the reality of colliding civilizations, population growth, improved technology, and conflicting world views. Conflict is inevitable. Peace is not obtained because of the absence of conflict, peace is obtained because of the ability to manage conflict. Our world has not been shattered, it has just been horrendously touched by the realities of an evolving globalization. The event, though unique in it's magnitude and savagery, does not create unique emotions. Although the emotions feel unique to Americans, they are emotions that are experienced daily in many parts of the world. Will we use these emotions to strike fear into those who feel ill will towards us, or will we choose empathy and increase our ability to relate to the world? The response to this crisis is very complex. This is why we travel. So that our response is colored by our interactions with the people of the world. Our interactions with people who deal with fear daily. Our interactions with people who provide us with a mirror so that we may more accurately see ourselves and how our nation is percieved by the people of the world. We travel because fear is a reality. To be fearful of the world, and not to travel is sure to keep our viewpoint narrow. To be mindful of the realities, build friendships, and still navigate the world's beautiful offerings is to grow. Travel in peace and safety Sincerely, Brad |