Adam Ferrari has traveled all over the world, racking up 132 countries and having had some truly incredible experiences. We caught up with Adam recently to find out more about his travels, and one of his biggest frustrations when he is on the road, those who are traveling without respecting other cultures and traditions. If you have plans to travel then you are going to encounter so many new experiences, traditions and cultures, and it is essential that you are open-minded and respectful, and here is why doing so is important.
The Issue
In truth the issue here is nothing but arrogance, the idea that you can scoff at the cultures and traditions of another country is suggestive that your own cultures and traditions are better, or more normal. There is nothing worse than an arrogant traveler. Imagine if someone came to your church or home, or place of work and started laughing or doing things to ruin the tradition that you have always had, it wouldn’t feel nice, and that is why you have to avoid it.
Enjoying Yourself
There is so much more enjoyment to be found when you go to these places and allow yourself to integrate into the culture. If you are not respectful of the traditions of others then you are just putting negative energy out there and this is going to have an impact on how much you enjoy your trip. Remember that you are doing this to explore and have new experiences, and watching how other cultures act is a huge part of that.
Learning
Once you open up your mind you will learn so much more than you ever thought possible about other cultures and how they go about things. This is the essence of travel for most people, it is not about partying all over the world, but scratching beneath the surface to see what you may find underneath, and filling your mind with new information and new ideas.
Changing You
When you watch other cultures and traditions you start to really reflect on yourself and your own life, and that is a very sobering and healthy thing to do. Watching how seriously some people take the smallest things really helps you to gain perspective about what you care for, or what you should care for. I can remember going to Mexico and watching these pilgrims walking on their knees to go the cathedral, a truly bizarre thing to see. After watching this however it dawned on me just how strongly their beliefs are, to be willing to do this. This made me reflect and think to myself ‘what do I care for that much?’ and the answer was nothing, which also made me consider areas of my life that I should perhaps change.
The whole experience of travel is one of learning, of new experiences and of meeting the world and its many cultures and faces, don’t be the one of doesn’t get that.
