The Most Important Item on Your Travel Checklist
You have made the big decision.
You want to travel, to explore the world and experience what is beyond the horizon.
All you have to do now is prepare yourself for the journey.
Preparation for travel is of two varieties: intangible and tangible.
Tangible preparation consists of compiling what you will bring with you and getting all the necessary documentation.
Intangible preparation is preparing yourself mentally for the trip, psyching yourself up and gaining knowledge of the places you plan to visit.
American author Gail Rubin Bereny once commented that the most important thing anyone can bring on a trip abroad is an open mind.
You can forget your toothbrush, your camera or even your underwear, but do not forget an open mind.
You will be exposed to many different philosophies and ways of doing things, and some of these may seem bizarre and even "wrong.
" But it is important to remember that you are there to learn, not to judge.
This does not mean that you have to accept everything blindly.
On the contrary, there is a lot of injustice in the world and you are bound to come across some, especially in the developing world.
But question the value of voicing such judgments.
You are bound to make certain character assessments of people, as will be discussed in the chapter on crime.
The issue here is to draw a fine line between discerning and making blanket judgments that will hamper your ability to learn about different ways of life.
You want to travel, to explore the world and experience what is beyond the horizon.
All you have to do now is prepare yourself for the journey.
Preparation for travel is of two varieties: intangible and tangible.
Tangible preparation consists of compiling what you will bring with you and getting all the necessary documentation.
Intangible preparation is preparing yourself mentally for the trip, psyching yourself up and gaining knowledge of the places you plan to visit.
American author Gail Rubin Bereny once commented that the most important thing anyone can bring on a trip abroad is an open mind.
You can forget your toothbrush, your camera or even your underwear, but do not forget an open mind.
You will be exposed to many different philosophies and ways of doing things, and some of these may seem bizarre and even "wrong.
" But it is important to remember that you are there to learn, not to judge.
This does not mean that you have to accept everything blindly.
On the contrary, there is a lot of injustice in the world and you are bound to come across some, especially in the developing world.
But question the value of voicing such judgments.
You are bound to make certain character assessments of people, as will be discussed in the chapter on crime.
The issue here is to draw a fine line between discerning and making blanket judgments that will hamper your ability to learn about different ways of life.
