Crossing Borders

While both Kapuscinski and Russell discuss different subjects, both travel writers discuss a sense of crossing borders.

Kapuscinski describes crossing political borders as well as physical. On page eight, Kapuscinski says that “the atmosphere became more relaxed, people breathed more freely.” This feeling of moving freely came just two years after Stalin’s death with a change in the political status of the country. Kapuscinski also describes crossing physical borders on page ten by saying, “it made no difference which one, because what was important was the destination, the goal, the end, but the most mystical and transcendent act.” Kapuscinski felt that the act of crossing into another country held a sort of mystery and if he was able to “achieve the unachievable" (p.17) he would fill a hole within himself. 

Russell describes her travels through the country of Bosnia after the war. Like Kapuscinski, I think Russell has crossed a political border. “To local people, of course, armored cars and tanks and guns are simply the furnishings of post-war Bosnia and most people are glad they’re there” (p. 124). This is a political border because it has been put in place after the war in Bosnia to ensure control and peace among the citizens. Another border that Russell has crossed is not necessarily a spiritual border but more of a sacred, intangible border. Russell allows herself to be vulnerable in Bosnia in order to truly understand the events that unfolded during and after the war. Russell says she’ll “have to leave the safety of the bus” (p. 135), without prior knowledge of where she will spend the night. 

While crossing a political border is not an essential need for me, I think it gives a fundamental understanding of why a culture is the way it is and how things operate in a given country. I think seeing areas with differing political views allows a person to appreciate the culture where they come from since not every country experiences the freedoms that Americans have. 

For some people crossing physical borders is important because it represents not only a new experience, but the entrance to a world that is unknown. For many American’s this comes from crossing into Canada or Mexico. Last semester I brought my friend into Canada for the first time and I got to walk side by side with him across the peace bridge. In the middle we were faced with two flags, the American flag and the Canadian. For this standpoint we knew could tell some of the differences between the two countries.

Lastly, sacred and intangible borders are important on many different levels. For me these borders are what allow us to fully experience traveling. Last night, I crossed the state borders in route to Oklahoma which was an intriguing experience to me. Since I have never traveled past the Mississippi River, I felt excited to experience somewhere new. While the Mississippi River is tangible, the ability to surround myself with a calming yet exciting feeling as I traveled further into the western states became sacred to me. Out of all three borders, I believe this to be the most importance because it is what allows me to open my eyes to see the world with news eyes and bring back a new perspective.

How do I want to travel?

When I think of how I want to travel I immediately think of being free in the sense that I’m free to explore a new place and I have limited responsibilities. I think of having the ability to become a sponge and absorb up anything related to the place I am in, to not only remind me of where I have been but the knowledge and experience that I have gained. While seeing my self travel in the future as well as the past, I always think it is better to travel with friends or other people. I think essentially Rick Steve’s and Mark Twain hit the nail on the head on how I want to travel. 

Firstly, Steve’s describes a soft first world traveler that is easily bothered by things that are different than what we may be used to at home. While traveling, I want to have the ability to go to third world countries and explore the lives of people who live there. This will not only allow me to become more grounded but also provided me with an appreciation of the things that I tend to take advantage of like a cell phone, computer, or even clean running water. I don’t want to be scared off from traveling to places like India because of the fast paced hustle and bustle of the city or the garbage on the streets. To me seeing places like this allows me to focus more on my basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter instead of the next phone I want to purchase. Lastly, Rick Steve’s says “You have to be present somewhere to have your perception change.” When traveling, I don’t want to come home the same person because if I do, then I really am no better off from the experience. I want to come home and hear people say ‘wow you’ve changed but in a good way’ because my experiences have truly made me a better person. 

Through Twains Roughing It piece, he explains his experience while traveling with the secretary to Nevada. Twain describes how they “jumped into the stage, the driver cracked his whip, and they (we) bowled away and left ‘the States’ behind them (us)” (p. 6). Twain and the secretary are traveling into the unknown and are unafraid of what lays ahead of them. When I travel, I can only hope to be like this so then I can truly enjoy the experience. Since Twain only had stereotypes of what was in Nevada, he essentially had an open mind. The one piece that stays with me the most from Twain’s experience, is that he traveled with the Secretary the whole way to Nevada. With this he was able to share his experiences with someone else. To me this represents a need to find the right traveling partners to ensure that you can get everything you hope for out of a trip. If you have the wrong group of people some may be more accustomed to the first world traveling as Steve’s describes and not as willing to dig deeper into unexplored areas and leave everything that they are familiar with at home. 

As a traveler, I hope I can do the things that Steve’s and Twain talk about because traveling can open my eyes to what the world has to offer. 

Travel v. tourism: What's the difference?

Is there a difference between being a tourist and simply traveling? My answer would be yes, yes there is definitely a difference between the two. As Iyer mentions, someone who travels is someone who can leave all judgements and assumptions at home to clearly immerse ourselves into a new and foreign culture. Iyer also says that a tourist is someone who is constantly complaining about their surroundings. Traveling “whirls you around and turns you upside down” (Iyer, p.1). From personal experience, I would call myself a traveler based on Iyer’s definition since I am excited to go to the unknown and learn about the culture and find things that differ from my home country but are similar to other countries or places I’ve seen.

Rick Steve’s discusses that travel brings people closer together, while providing a greater appreciation for America and what America has to offer. I have had the opportunity to see this first hand by traveling to the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and various other places in the Caribbean and witnessing the country in areas that are not built around tourism. By witnessing how people live and the first world necessities, such as protection and my safe housing that I am accustomed to, but that are not present in these countries, I instantly felt gratification for the opportunities present in America. Rick Steve also discusses the idea of ‘soft first world travelers’ who would be bothered by a developing country since everything is wild and up close and personal. The ability to immerse yourself into a developing country is what makes someone a traveler opposed to a tourist in my opinion. 

While I think there is a definite difference between being a traveler and a tourists I think both aspects hold a sense of adventure and a yearning for the discovery of the unknown. Once reading that represents this idea is Mark Twain’s Roughing It since he starts off by discussing the “long-strange journey he was going to make, and the curious new world he was going to explore” (p.1). Throughout the piece I think Twain starts as a tourist because he only planned to stay for three months and to see as many marvels as he could see while he had the chance. As the story I think Twain becomes a traveler since he immerses himself in what is happening while in the end staying in Nevada longer than the initial three months as planned.

While there can be a clear and simple divide between being a traveler and a tourist, I do not think that one person is either a traveler or a tourist but never both. I believe that under different circumstances one can be a traveler and under other circumstances that the same person is a tourist. Every experience is what you make of it, and in order to truly enjoy the experience we should always remember to approach a trip with new eyes and a yearning to explore the unknown. (This unknown can be a new state, or a completely new country, it is all in what you make of it!)