Travel Makes Us Better Humans
Travel tends to make us better people all around. It helps us break down barriers and build bridges of understanding between our own culture and others. You’re less likely to be prejudice of people once you get to know them and share a connection. But aside from the obvious, there are some other things you’ll learn from travel:
You Can’t Put a Price on Experience: Travel can change our financial priorities where we start valuing experience over material items. I read an article a few years ago that said that Millenials are the first generation to prioritize experience over stuff. How fun is that? Travel can change our perceived value. Sure, you might spend a few thousand of your hard-earned dollars during two-weeks abroad and not have a fancy new sofa, but what you’ll get out of it, the people you’ll meet, the things you’ll see, the food you’ll try, the pictures you’ll capture, the personal growth, are priceless.
You Can Exist Unplugged: Often while traveling you’ll lose service and it can cause some panic. But you’ll quickly realize you can get by just fine without the internet and a barrage of text messages from work, friends, family, and your ex who is suddenly very sorry you broke up. In fact, unplugging is good for your brain health and it will help you live in the moment and teach you how to plan for the unexpected.
Make the Best of the Worst: I can’t even count how many “bad” travel experiences I’ve had. I’ve missed flights, been stranded, met lunatics, and it has always worked out gloriously. In embarrassing moments I’ve learned how to laugh at myself, in getting lost I’ve met lifelong friends, and in running out of money I’ve learned how to get by on pennies in another country (my friend and I once lived on apples for two days). And Bad Travel can be hilarious in retrospect. The weird, terrible, unbelievable stories are the ones I often find myself recounting at dinner parties because, “I had a perfect trip in London,” just doesn’t sound nearly as interesting as, “one time I got drunk and had a random English stranger put on my red jacket and chase me through the streets so I could scream, “the redcoats are coming.” I am still very good friends with said Englishman.
Appreciate What You Have, or Get Rid of That Pesky Ethnocentrism: Sometimes travel can teach you to be thankful for the things that you have. In Thailand, my husband and I drove through a shanty town where entire families lived in homes built from cardboard and metal scraps and given the high heat and humidity I found myself so insanely thankful for air conditioning. But, on the other hand, often while traveling I realize that even though I’m lucky to have been born in the US for some reasons, we still have a long way to come in terms of quality of life. We love to work but have forgotten entirely how to appreciate our families, spend long dinners with friends, and just enjoy the little things. We’ve given away our work-life balance for profit.
Responsible Travel Can Save Animals
I’ve loved animals in an obsessive, weird way ever since I came sliding out of my mom’s womb lagoon. I’ve always connected with them on a deep level, whether it’s a dog, rat, or monkey, I grow instantly attached and want to carry them around in my pocket forever and ever. I don’t think I’m that different from many of you. Most of us like animals, at least those of us who are not serial killers.
The problem with how much we love animals is that we don’t always love them in a way that is best for them and their wellbeing (as a kid, I had a few pets meet a terrible fate because of my obsession with them. Lesson: Fish do not like to relax in a jacuzzi). Not because we’re terrible people, but because we just want to be close to animals, to nature, and we don’t know the ramifications of that sometimes. Unfortunately, animal-obsessed travelers are responsible for a whole lot of cruelty. And we have no idea. We’re like a kid who loved a kitten a little too much and accidentally mauled it to death.
Tips on How to Protect Animals While Abroad:
Say No to Elephant Rides
Riding elephants is one of the worst things you can do while traveling. I know, it’s an ELEPHANT, you want to touch it and love it and sit on it. But the truth is that in order to be able to ride an elephant, the elephants have to have their “spirit broken.” Which includes taking a calf away from its mother as an infant and routinely beating it until it’s essentially just a shell of an animal. I don’t want to go into the details because it’s honestly one of the most horrible things I’ve ever read about but you can learn more about it here.
Instead of going trekking and riding an elephant, you can visit an elephant sanctuary which is so much cooler. Elephant Nature Park, for example, is a sanctuary in Thailand where you can interact with the elephants who have all been rescued from abuse and neglect. It’s run by a local person and helps support the community so all around it’s a win.
Avoid Shows Involving Mammals in Tanks
My little sister wanted to be a trainer at Seaworld when she was a little girl. As an adult, after learning more about Orcas and Dolphins, she’s changed her tune. The truth is that despite how cool the shows are, they fuel an industry that you really don’t want to be a part of. Dolphins largely come from the Taiji hunt in Japan where thousands of dolphins are driven into a cove and brutally slaughtered. The “attractive” or young dolphins are then sold to tanks around the world where they’re forced to perform for food. Orcas are also largely taken from the wild, currently in Russian waters, but previously from Puget Sound off the coast of Washington. You have to know a lot about Orcas to understand why this is so horrible. Orcas (who are actually dolphins, not whales) are one of the few animals that we know for a fact learn everything culturally. Their languages are learned from their families so one pod cannot speak the same dialect as another, and even the way they hunt and what they eat is learned from their family. For example, the Southern Residents in Puget Sound only eat Chinook Salmon. If they don’t have Salmon they simply starve to death because that’s all they’ve learned to eat. Some transient pods hunt seals, others sharks, and their techniques all vary depending on how they were raised. The point of all of this is that their families are everything to them and brain scans show they have a larger capacity for emotions than humans do. So, when a youngster is ripped from its family it’s an unbearable loss for them. Additionally, like all intelligent animals, living in a tiny tank is unbearably boring and they develop a lot of self-harming behaviors out of sheer boredom and loneliness. And, above all, Orcas have never killed a human in the wild. Ever. But they will purposely drown their “trainers,” the people holding them captive, because they very literally go insane. For more information watch Black Fish or The Cove. Excellent documentaries (but prepare to cry).
Don’t Pay to Pet Things
On my honeymoon, I made the mistake of paying a young girl to hold her monkey because OMG A MONKEY! I regret it. Not only because the Slow Loris tried to bite me and I later discovered that they’re the only venomous primate on the planet, but because I also learned that they are endangered because of animal trafficking. Who is responsible for that? Us. Me. People who will pay ten bucks to hold a monkey on their honeymoon. This drives illegal hunting where entire monkey families are killed so the babies can be smuggled for tourists. This is the case for a lot of different animals across the globe, not just monkeys. If you love animals and want to touch a monkey, there are nonprofit sanctuaries all over the planet where you can volunteer. For example, in Cameroon there is an ape sanctuary and you can go and help with BABY CHIMPS. WHAT!? And even better, you can seek out animal rehabilitation facilities where the animals are eventually released back into the wild.
When it comes to animals and travel, it’s easy to find better alternatives with a little research. It’s convenient to take things at face value but the truth is that animal exploitation is lucrative so you have to dig a little deeper to ensure that what you’re doing is actually beneficial to the animals.
Ethical Travel Can Help Communities
Let’s face it, where we were born comes down to pure dumb luck. If you were born in a first world country, chances are you’re fairly privileged in the sense that you didn’t grow up starving, thirsty, or fearing for your life every minute of every day. Travel can go two ways when you come from a country that allows you the gift of travel: It can help the local communities or it can be extremely exploitive and hurtful.
Here are some tips on how to travel ethically:
Book Tours with Family-Owned Operators or Locals: Honestly, not only is it better for the local economy but your experience is going to be a million times better if you’re tour is with a local family.
Support Local and Ethical Businesses: There are tons of ethical businesses out there now that are trying to make money but also give back in a meaningful way. In Vienna, the Magdas Hotel is entirely run by refugees. And in Augsburg near Munich, the Grandhotel Cosmopolis offers rooms for travelers, tourists, and refugees in the same building. The super cute Beehive Ho(s)tel in Italy has hired refugees via a local charity for the repainting of their hotel rooms.
Buy Local: When you’re traveling it can be difficult to know where things are sourced from but with a little research in the form of asking around you can figure it out and it makes all the difference. Eat at small and local eateries, opt for small specialty stores (like a bread story, veggie market, etc) for food over large grocery stores, and look for local artisans. You’re probably thinking, “But I’m in Italy! I’m buying things in Italy!” Nope. Even in places like Italy a lot of their stuff comes from China or large corporations which is killing local artisans. Do your research and find the local shoemakers, candlestick makers, whatever, and support them. That way you’re growing the local economy and supporting families with your hard-earned money.
Book Through an Ethical Agency, Local Agency, or Airbnb: Ethical travel companies like Kind Traveler are popping up all over the internet. They have a list of properties where a portion of your fee goes toward animal welfare, environmental sustainability or promoting welfare in communities. Or, book your stay with Airbnb with someone who is local and clearly lives in the area. Go ahead and ask them where they grew up! Ask them where they live. Keep money in local pockets. WWOOFing is also a great option for this! I have friends who do it every year and LOVE IT!
Go Green: Green travel is quickly becoming the standard for many avid travelers. I love to travel, you love to travel, but let’s face it, it’s not always great for the environment. However, you can hugely reduce your footprint by choosing green destinations, green lodging, and green modes of transportation. For more check out this article on the Washington Post. Small things you can do include carrying a refillable water bottle with you (I always have my S’well bottles with me), using metal straws (I bought a pack on Amazon and put one in all of my bags), and drinking your coffee in glass mugs at the cafe instead of asking for your drinks to-go. This stuff matters to me more now than ever since I’m currently incubating a human. Please, world, I need you to be better for my kids’ generation. I don’t want them to grow up in a pile of crap.
Opt for Eco-friendly Toiletries: I accidentally started carrying eco-friendly toiletries to avoid issues with TSA. Sometimes when you’re traveling to multiple destinations on one trip, the last thing you want to do is worry about liquids, leaky bottles, the exact size of everything, and taking everything out while going through security. I started wrapping a bar of soap in a washrag and using shampoo and conditioner bars while on the go. I’ll be totally honest, shampoo bars can make your hair look dull if you use them for a long time. But for a month of traveling, they’re awesome. I also use lotion bars for my bod.
Pack Sunscreen That Doesn’t Damage Coral Reefs: If you’re like me, you love a solid beach vacation to unwind and reconnect with your partner so you don’t stab them. I seriously believe that the secret of a long and happy marriage is a good annual relaxing vacation (keyword: relaxing). Sunscreen is important to protect your skin from cancer and premature aging but a lot of them are full of crap that is bad for our oceans. Oxybenzone and Octinoxate are the two main ingredients to avoid but good alternatives are mineral sunscreens with zinc or titanium oxide.
So there we have it, some tips on making the world a little better when we travel. I would love to hear your ideas for more ethical travel. How has travel made you a better person? What have you experienced or learned along the way? Did you hold a monkey on your honeymoon only to realize it was a terrible idea? Have you found the perfect local hotel or Airbnb stay in your fave destination? Do you have a favorite local artisan you think everyone should visit? Let us know in the comments below! And, of course, please share with your friends and fam if you liked what you read.
