I stated earlier that travel has been one of the most important factors in shaping who I am today and mentioned that I know my way around the world better than most people know their way around their hometown...
But before we go on the last attachment here at the end is slightly NSFW!
In all of my world travels I've always felt at home and welcome except in certain parts of the United States (usually smaller cities and towns in the south and midwest) because I've been asked more times than I can remember "You're not from here are you?" and it all stems I believe from people who fear others from different countries, backgrounds or beliefs or...
Xenophobia | Definition of Xenophobia by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenophobia
:fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.
I've always found this so baffling but with what is happening in the world today particularly attitudes in the United States I decided to do a little research after reading a news feed on facebook that US airlines may start to require a valid passport in order to take domestic flights... (I have been using my passport for boarding any flight no matter where I'm going for years because I'm accustomed to it from foreign travel)... the most common reaction on facebook was alarming because it seemed that most of the people who were reading the feed did not have a passport or knew anything about the cost or how to go about getting one... I was surprised to find that in 2015 only about 36% of US citizens have a passport... compared to about 70% of Australian citizens... I think a lot of people are afraid of the world and other languages and cultures; perhaps that is the reason that some people seem to not like Hawaii... but I'm only guessing unless they just dislike sunshine and beautiful weather.
I guess I am a...
Xenophily or xenophilia means an affection for unknown/foreign objects or people. It is the opposite of xenophobia or xenophoby. The word is a modern coinage from the Greek "xenos" (ξένος) (stranger, unknown, foreign) and "philia" (φιλία) (love, attraction), though the word itself is not found in classical Greek.
Some of the best adventures of my life started or finished here ...
Travel and the rewards from other cultures and experiences has given me the energy and hope that I have to carry on and pursue life and love.
One of the big things I hear from people who are afraid of travel is they are afraid of the conditions they might find or not find... but travel is sometimes a little messy and you need to get a little dusty and dirty at times... but with that said I won't go to a place that is at war or under attack. It's always a good idea to check for travel advisories and make any necessary additions to your attitude or carry on baggage. It's just as easy to get run over by a bus on the street where you live than half way around the world..
I've also had people tell me they are afraid of the water in other countries... I'm more afraid of the water in Florida than I am almost any place else I've travelled... but I myself have bought bottled water and avoided ice cubes in certain parts of the world (mostly on airlines and cruise ships).
When we are young everything seems possible and we are not afraid to dream and pursue those dreams and everything life has to offer... I don't know what the forces of nature or the life circumstances are that succeed in diminishing them but travel and knowledge have always helped to keep them alive inside of me... the world speaks many languages and even if you don't learn those languages but learn to communicate effectively in them you will find out what I mean about the power and insights gained from travel... I love getting to the destination but the final anticipation before arrival is like a drug for me...
The sooner you realize that someday today (not too far in the future) is going to only be a memory and that memory is going to either be sweet or filled with regret depending on how we make our way through the day into tomorrow... One of the best pieces of advice I can give anyone who travels or wants to travel is make use of your intuition by channeling your knowledge and experiences into your thoughts and actions and then into your everyday activities... the more you travel the greater your inventory of knowledge and experience. So just make your choices and...
You can't reach your final destination in life without taking the first step.
Besides having xenophilia I also suffer from apodyopsis... always have.. always will... that's why life is easier for me at a nude beach!
See you next week!
