Well, after
my South American adventure was cut short by a parasite (check that off the
bucket list!) that put me in a hospital in Bolivia for a week, then a hospital
in Colombia for another week, I’m now safely back in the world of drinkable tap
water, vanilla lattes, and people complaining about their iphone screwing up. I
still am a firm believer in the statement that a month of traveling can teach
you more than a year of sitting in a classroom- which is part of the reason why
I never want to stop traveling. Because of that, I always feel like I’ve
changed so much as a person whenever I come home from being out in the world
exploring. That change is made even more apparent by the fact that it always
seems like home hasn’t changed a bit. The same regular guests are still coming
in and ordering the same drinks, people are still talking about the same shows
and same crazy politicians saying the same stupid things, everyone is still
going to the same places to eat, drink, and hang out, etc. I’m not saying
that’s necessarily a bad (or good) thing- it’s just something I notice when I
come home.
On that note, since I’ve been back home from
this most recent trip, and especially since I’ve been back at work, I’ve been
noticing “first world problems” so much more. I’m just about ready to propose a
law that all Americans should spend at least a couple of weeks living in the
third world. After living in a place that didn’t have clean drinking water, and
a lot of home comforts like air conditioning were basically unheard of, it’s
much easier for me to appreciate how much we have here in the states, and
harder for me to complain about things like lack of wifi. All of that being
said, here are a few of the things I learned living in the third world:
1.
Americans
have WAY more stuff than we need
I remember
the first few days that I was home, looking around at the bookshelves full of
books I hardly ever read and movies I almost never watch, closets and drawers
full of clothes I rarely wear, and cabinets full of different items that don’t
do much other than sit in those cabinets. It made me remember my first day in
Bolivia, when I took a taxi from the La Paz airport to the home of a friend of
Vicky’s (the head of the sanctuary), to wait for Vicky to pick me up. This
woman seemed to live above some kind of clinic, with her husband and two
teenage children. I could tell their home was very small, and was really
surprised to learn that all of them lived there. When the home got too warm, they
opened the windows. To pass the time, they talked to each other. The home had
hardly any of the comforts that we consider common here in the states, but the
family seemed to get by just fine with what they had because they were used to
it. Sure, if I wound up stuck living there for a long time I’d notice the lack
of things like television and air conditioning, but only because as an American
I’m used to having those things. It really puts things in perspective.
2.
We
did nothing to deserve all we have
You can’t
choose where you’re born. You can’t choose who your parents are, or where they
are. That family that lived in La Paz didn’t ask to live in the third world- I
didn’t ask to live in the first world. Simply being American is not an
accomplishment in and of itself. It’s just kind of about luck. Related to that,
it means the majority of Americans aren’t at all thankful to have what we have.
They think it’s a basic right to have drinkable tap water, good health care,
and a comfortable, spacious home. It’s not. This is why I think everyone should
at least visit the third world, so that when they come back home, they can
appreciate what they have. Even if you don’t have the newest iphone, or the
best car, we as Americans have a hell of a lot more than a big chunk of the
world, so don’t take it for granted.
3.
Being
nice doesn’t cost anything
Another
thing I clearly remember about my first day in Bolivia is meeting the daughter
and son of the woman that housed me for a couple of hours that morning. I met
the son first, and, being the stupid American that I am, I reached out my hand
to shake his. Instead, he pulled me in and greeted this complete stranger with
a hug and kiss on the cheek. No, that boy wasn’t any more affectionate than the
average Bolivian- that’s just how they do things there. When I met the daughter
a few minutes later, I was more prepared for the greeting that seemed so alien
to me but so normal to them.
At that
woman’s home (I know I’m talking a lot about my first morning in Bolivia, but
it’s a story I haven’t told yet in the blog and really wanted to because I
remember it so well), she immediately invited me in and offered me a cup of
tea. Despite her limited English and my limited Spanish, we were able to
understand each other fairly well. It was amazing to me that this woman
completely opened up her home for me, a total stranger, and treated me like
some kind of honored guest. I heard once that the poorer a country is, the
nicer the people are, and after only a few days in Bolivia, I started to
believe that. The people there may not have nearly as much as we do here in the
US, but they more than made up for it in personality.
There are
plenty of other things that I could say I learned while living in the third
world, but I think this blog post is long enough. I definitely think that
everyone could learn something by spending some time in the third world. This
summer was my first experience there, but it certainly won’t be my last. This
post’s food for thought: “It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes.
Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize
what’s changed is you.”- Eric Roth
