The Best Kind of Travel

Instead of escaping life, experience it!

Written By: Miranda Schock

If you’re like many people in the US, you may have heard the saying that, after a vacation, there is eventually a time when you have to leave and go back to the “real world.” So you get on a plane and unpack your suitcase and just forget whatever you just experienced. You go back to making it through the rest of your days until you start thinking about the next “vacation.” But I would like to share a perspective that a friend has taught me while backpacking: “Since when was the trip you were on not also a part of the real world? Who defines what is or not real?” I think this is something we can all do for ourselves.  

I personally believe that traveling and meeting new people is an extremely helpful tool in the imaginative process of learning what reality means to you. We become filled by the beauty of nature and the connections around us. A moment may strike you where you see that you are not your thoughts; you are an integral part of the wide, wide world around you. Especially when you are engaging directly with communities that are unlike yours, you begin to see another way of looking at the world. When you work alongside local leaders, this allows you to see even more and create meaningful connections. Additionally, trying new things like caving or rock climbing is a valuable way of challenging limiting beliefs about what is possible for you.

People are deeply impacted by the nature, the social structures, and the events around them. In Hawai’i, it was neat to see how the language and culture revolved around the geography of the island and the way that the water sources came from higher ground. In Thailand, I learned from the amazing people planting mangroves to protect their houses from erosion and the wildlife around them. Therefore, the people who live there are the ones who best know how to engage with the environment around them. They are the experts of their land. By traveling in this way, both travelers and residents alike are empowered by seeing the strengths in their communities and themselves. 

However, it’s not all easy fun and games. Some may experience reverse culture shock, where they experience their life at home as being much different than the place they just traveled. I know it was hard for me personally to make that transition home. I felt so at peace when I was on my GIVE trip in Hawai’i and was able to be in the community every day and connect with nature in a harmonious way, but this was not very accessible for me coming back home. Maybe this discomfort is necessary. It shows us where our personal lives and communities still have a lot of space to grow and be able to apply what was learned on our trip.

Nonetheless, these opportunities are always out there to partake in like community engagement, adventure, and personal growth, though it may be much more difficult to find alone. When first deciding to go to Ohio University, I just thought that the campus was pretty (which is important :), and didn’t really see much more to it besides it just being a school. Similarly to my GIVE trip, I learned so much more and felt much more connected to the place that I was in when I began engaging with the communities outside of just school settings. Many of the community members are proud of their Appalachian identity and are deeply passionate people, pursuing projects that support members of their community.