After a long hiatus from blogging and almost three months since my first trip this year, I have returned to my blog, excited to place 3 more stamps on my “virtual” passport. My first trip this year was through my university, and it was a study abroad experience learning about Cuba and Cuban culture. We stayed mostly in Matanzas, Cuba – a city about 1 hour and 15 minutes east of Havana. Matanzas is a charming small city, with small winding streets, a small river, and a budding art and historical-cultural center. While in Matanzas, my study abroad group and I attended Cuban dance classes; talks on Cuban medicine, religion, education, economics, and international relations; and we mingled with our host Roberto and the program directors that we were working with. During our three weeks in Cuba, my group visited Havana for the weekend, as well as the beaches at Varadero, the Bay of Pigs, and a small city called Trinidad. Cuba is a very beautiful country, and many of the people speak honestly about their experiences living there, both the good and the bad. My study abroad group was lucky because we were able to become a tight-knit group over the time that we were together, and I hope to continue a friendship with all of them.
Later in the summer months in mid-August, my family took a vacation to Kenya and Tanzania as my Grandmother’s 80th Birthday present. We visited the usual sites – hitting the Serengeti National Park, Maasai Mara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, among others. We were put in a tour group with other tourists just like us – taking hundreds of photos of the animals we saw throughout. It was fabulous to just relax and learn about the culture of the two countries (Kenya has a recent history of Capitalism while Tanzania has a long history of socialism) and the people who work in the tourism industry (one of the most profitable businesses to be in for both countries). Africa has a culturally relevant and incredibly interesting story. The portrayal of Africa from a United States perspective is not very in-depth, so it takes a trip to the continent to understand more about the cultural significance of tribal and governmental practices and the cultural practices of the people.
Traveling definitely taught me a lot this year, especially about cultural differences and acceptance, understanding that those who we share this earth with have different ideas that should be heard. We cannot force someone to conform to our ideals and our societal norms because our society is not their society. Culturally aware travel=good travel!