As a whole, I recommend traveling as much as you can, while you can. There's a great big world out there with wonderful things to see and EAT. Yes, sometimes it's a pain. Getting vaccines, waiting nine hours in an airport, or sitting next to "large" people on an 11 hour flight isn't fun, but it's so worth it to meet people from other cultures. The rather large man I sat next to on my flight from Sao Paulo to Frankfurt was from Kuwait and Muslim, he prayed every few hours while in his seat. He was very kind and reserved.
People are really the same no matter where they're from. They all have the same desires and fears as the rest of us. I guess that's what I really love about what I'm doing now, because I get to interact with the true people of the earth and not just ones interested in your tourist dollars.
Despite staying at a "hotel" with bugs crawling all over in one of the most remote places I've ever been to, I got to see the most incredible farmland there is to see on this planet, eat at churrascarias (and being inundated with cow meat), learn some Portuguese, and find that people don't hate Americans (just their foreign policy). One farmer we visited was so incredibly gracious with his time and was so honored that we cared to even talk to him. We loved how much thoughtfulness he gave to making his home comfortable for himself and his family.
I got several recommendations of places to visit within Brazil from our translator, and I'm a little disappointed that I cut my trip to Sao Paulo short so I could spend an extra day in Germany. I missed out on some great samba places (I didn't realize how much Brazilian music I actually listened to prior to going) and seeing one of the biggest cities in the world. It just gives me a reason to go back one day soon.
Germany, despite it's modern mentality, was surprisingly down-to-earth. I really loved Leipzig, and the Christmas Markt really helped with the general mood of the city center. The amount of history is overwhelming for all the European cities, it really puts things into perspective compared to our country.
On our three day trip into the countryside, I realized that's where I want to visit in my future travels to any country. Cities are structured the same - metro, food, art, music,churches, etc. The countryside seems a little more unpredictable, and is more authentic. One of my favorite parts was eating in these tiny restaurants with only 2 items to order from - luckily kartoffeln (potatoes) are a staple food! You can only learn the customs by actually being with the people from that place.
I think to escape the mundaneness of everyday life, experiencing something so utterly different and foreign is amazing. It also gives you a chance to reflect on what has shaped you into who you are, and gives you ideas on how you can become a better, more compassionate and understanding person. It also gives you fresh ideas and a new perspective. I hope to travel more in the coming new year and hopefully with some of you all!
I've added all my photos from my trip, here's the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
Thanks for reading and keeping up, traveling is one thing I am super-incredibly passionate about!
Happy holidays!
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