Being a world traveler at first may sound like all fun and games, but one must never forget that you represent external cultures, nations, and people as you travel. You may be someone’s basis for a strong viewpoint because people tend to think of people they’ve met in their lifespan and apply their worldview of the more incredible culture to the person they met. This could have small and large ripples on the people you meet as you travel. People may judge their worldview of their home country based on their time together. This is why I thought it’d be good to go into and talk about how to behave while on travel. Let’s dive in!
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Being Open Minded
It is expected that our way of religion, government, culture, and life is superior to other parts of the world, especially for those who may come from wealthier countries. This way of thinking is destructive when traveling and can only cause contention where you go. There is no perfect walk of life. Instead of being held to your standards, diving deep into the local ways and immersing yourself will expand your mind’s eye.
Understand the people’s history, the influences on the culture, and how things have evolved to bring the situation to the present day. Then, try to derive the collective story based on conversations with the locals and understandings from their viewpoints. Keeping an open mind to those differences in viewpoints is critical for deep understanding.
In return, locals curious about your walk of life will also be curious to know and understand things from the viewpoint of your culture and nation. With that said, telling them your viewpoint and listening without forcing your beliefs on others can create stimulating and enjoyable sharing of cultures that is like nothing else. If you do this enough, you will find people worldwide who experience life through human emotions. Emotional experiences are common to all of us across the world. We are not as different as you’d think.
Be A Guest Everywhere You Go
When guests come to your residence, you may expect them to respect your property and your thoughts under your roof. When you travel the world, you can expect locals to expect the same of tourists traveling their country. It is essential to have the mindset that you are a guest and will maintain the best of your behavior while there. You will respect the local laws, customs, and belief systems. You may disagree with it all, but you must be a good guest and respect the path of life of the locals. Do this, and you will find the locals will treat you kindly. They will be open to sharing their knowledge and experience with you; you will also reflect well on them.
This may also include being extra diligent not to litter, picking up trash, being extra cautious of wearing clothing that could be insulting, and not being too loud or opinionated in conversations. The list goes on, but the point is clear—care about being kind and considerate.
Pretend To Be Representing Your Nationality And Culture
Another trick is to pretend you are a literal ambassador. You are entering foreign lands and representing your home culture and nation as an ambassador would. As an intelligent and capable traveler, you must represent what others see in you. You not only want to be kind and respectful but exceed their expectations. Sway minds that folks’ negative outlooks on specific countries and cultures are not entirely founded. You are there to enjoy your time, see the sights, and ensure those you come across remember you with a positive outlook.
All this to say, if all of us as travelers do our part, we will leave strong impressions on those we come across, spreading our own culture and learning about new cultures. We effectively and positively broaden the worldview of everyone. We learn and grow in ways you can’t imagine and understand the human condition more. That given circumstance, everyone may be susceptible to undergoing similar decisions worldwide. There is no perfect or predominant culture beyond the underlying state of being human. And we can all strive to be the best humans possible as we help unite the world in belief and direction.
Conclusion
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