Travelling with the eyes of others
Kathy, one of the MCC Zambia reps, shared this quote at the MCC Zambia retreat in April, and it’s stuck with me ever since. While I’m sure I would have had a great time in Zambia and Zimbabwe whether anyone cared or not, knowing I had a home and friends to return to made it easier to enjoy the experience.
It’s hard to explain why this is true exactly. I hope it’s not out of some sense of narcissism— you know, “all those friends of mine at home must be so jealous of this elephant I’m seeing right now.” I never had those thoughts consciously, but in the age of social media I wouldn’t be surprised if that was part of it.
No, we weren’t quite this close. Jonathan has a great lens for his camera. Photo by Jonathan Moeller
One reason this quote resonates with me could be that when family and friends commented on my travels or asked questions it reminded me how lucky I am to have the experience in the first place. Not that seeing cheetahs and giraffes ever got old for me, but when everyone around you is seeing the same things you forget how special they are. That is until someone else marvels at just how close you got to that cobra!
Another might be that it’s harder to enjoy getting out of your comfort zone if you’re worried about things at home. Though officially I had no home to return to, having given up my apartment, I always knew that I would have a place to stay when I came back, and friends to process the experience with. I imagine it’s harder to fully immerse yourself in a new place if you don’t feel secure in the one you left behind.
The point of this post is really to say thanks to all of you who read my blog, sent me an email or tweet or just sent good thoughts my way. You made travelling that much better. And as a thank you I will try not to be one of those people who starts every sentence with “In Zimbabwe ….”
emily ruth adventures 