Travel provides invaluable opportunities for personal growth, cultural enrichment, and heightened understanding of the world’s similarities and complexities. To illustrate the following ideas, Karen shared her experiences from 95 countries and 50+ years of travel, with humor and photos.
- Cultural Awareness: Travelers gain firsthand experience of how people live, their traditions, customs, and values. This fosters empathy, tolerance, and appreciation for diverse perspectives.
- Historical Perspective: Visiting landmarks and sites helps travelers grasp the context of world events.
- Increased Understanding: Seeing poverty, inequality, or sustainability issues first-hand enhances understanding of global problems.
- Breaking Stereotypes and Prejudices: Interacting with locals, travelers gain a more nuanced understanding of the world, promoting inclusivity and acceptance.
- Broadened Perspectives: Experiencing different ways of life broadens perspective on what is considered normal or acceptable. It encourages critical thinking and questioning of assumptions, values, and societal norms.
Karen Gershowitz has written two books about travel, Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust and Wanderlust: Extraordinary People, Quirky Places and Curious Cuisine. These are not guidebooks, rather they are stories of her experiences while traveling for business and pleasure–95 countries and counting! Her stories touch on understanding the world, how travel increases understanding and empathy, and can lead to inclusivity and acceptance. Visit her website at Karengershowitz.com.
