Travel

One thing I always remember from my previous lecturer, Dr Bell, is his advice about travel. He told me to ‘travel more’ in order to be more flexible with cultures, people and environments.

His advice was a great inspiration to me. I realize that travel really shapes and colors of my personality.

According to the avid travelers, a dynamic geographical movement among people make them more tolerate and learn to appreciate different opinions. People more familiarize to many differences, customs, prejudices, and lifestyles. It really changes their way of thinking and seeing then making decision about something. Frequent travelers are more relaxed on those differences and learn to understand the background. Since they are trying to learn more about the differences genuinely, they complain less. That is why they are more flexible in any situation.

I’ve seen some natives who cannot tolerate other ethnic, which I guessed a kind of symptom of lack interaction with certain groups of people. Whilst I think I am growing quite good on not easily judging a thing by its cover or people, now, I become more understanding and tolerant, so I can make friends easily with anyone. Recently, I discovered myself was in a comfortable situation when spending a transit time with a friendly Chinese girl. We even had our dinner together and a long chat like we’ve been friends for ages. I am quite certain that I am too bad in this business.

Travel is also a good way to enhance our communication skill. It was experienced that a language barrier between foreigners leads them to be a great communicator. They are forced to listen and try to understand other people without making prejudices. Imagine when we are in a situation where no one speak or poorly speak our language it must be a devastating situation. Trying to speak with body language or gestures could help, but to understand a poorly spoken English needs another hard work. I know people tend to avoid someone who cannot speak fluently in their language, because it involves a hard work and requires time. But, good travelers must survive in new environments, so they must learn to ask practical questions and listen attentively to other people to get information. Travel becomes a kind of practice to enhance communication skill.

There are many more advantages regarding to travel. But I think those two important characteristics are more influential to shape and color our personality to be a better person.

Pekanbaru,

INSPIRED by an essay in 3sixty: Travel helps you a better person (November 2012 issue)