Real travel writing

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of internationally renowned physician and anthropologist Dr. Paul Farmer, Mountains Beyond Mountains, is a prerequisite for anyone hoping to have a meaningful impact abroad or even search the Idealist.org job boards. The book’s author, Tracy Kiddler, makes an easy-to-miss observation on page 219 that defines Farmer’s “internationality” and, conveniently enough, that of many exposed to this blog:

Embracing a continuity and interconnectedness that excluded no one seemed like another of Farmer’s peculiar liberties. It came with a lot of burdens, but it also freed him from the efforts that many people make to find refuge and distinction from their pasts, and from the mass of their fellow human beings.

The excerpt presents a highly self-analytical question to the internationally mobile population of dreamers and do-gooders: Are you running from or toward something? Only the delusional would argue that there is nothing personal about their flight. Just looking to make the world a better place by giving back to the less fortunate? That’s touching, and partially true, but why?

There is always something in there for you. Maybe it is a source for inspiration, a chance to escape the monotony of the known, a way to be unique, or an admission to a cause that is bigger than you and people like you. Everyone has something that (literally) moves them and if can you understand the driving forces behind your time abroad, the desired destination will be much easier to find.

So crack that travel journal that’s collecting dust next to your bed and compose an entry different from the last, which was probably about Latin men that can dance and your sudden questioning of Christian values. What inspired your current or desired position in life? Who and what are the external influences? What things are being pushed away? What is being pulled closer?

Take your eyes off the horizon for a moment and focus on the ride. You’ll be amazed how the road unfolds ahead of you. Safe travels.

Andrew Garberson is the Director of Communications at Transitions Foundation, a wicked-awesome organization that supports and empowers Guatemalans with disabilities. He supplements his time in Antigua, Guatemala by preaching the value of enlightened travel and chronicling the effects of the developing world on a fragile gringo immune system.

The purpose of the jornada is for the whole group to have a chance to come together to reflect and refocus on the mission behind what we are trying to accomplish at VE. It was very easy for me to become side-tracked amidst the excitement of travel, meeting new people and places, and the fact that Santiago is one big non-stop party.

We began the weekend with loads of silly team building activities and mushy talks that really set the stage for the entire weekend. We broke into small groups and discussed the multi-dimensional aspects of poverty and the endless cycles that exist within the economic classes.  The disparity between the classes here in Santiago is immense. With 18.2% of the population under the poverty line, the top 10% of the population here consumes 41.7% of resources while the bottom 10% consumes only 1.6%. The statistics are alarmingly drastic, and probably are in the country where you reside as well.

Photo of Cajón del Maipo from Flickr user Naturaleza

One of the aims of VE is to seek to improve awareness  and in turn, improve the situation for those in need. When you view poverty from an outside perspective, many times it is easy to mistake the effects of poverty for the causes, and the cycle continues. I believe a difficult cycle exists within the upper classes as well.  People who grow up with money become accustomed to having and doing certain things that are no longer recognized as privileged, but normal. My heart breaks when I think about the privileges I have been handed and taken for granted. Most of those being privileges that the children at Anakena, the school where I teach, would never imagine possible. I am not from the view that everyone should feel ashamed and guilty for taking advantage of opportunities in life. However, I do think it is our responsibility to be aware of what truly is privilege and what is necessity. Fortunately and unfortunately, those of us who have never experienced what poverty feels like will never be able to fully empathize with those who endure the oppression that poverty brings with it. We are left to strive for awareness and compassion.

During our weekend retreat, we were given free time for some reflection of our personal and professional goals as well as objectives we hope to achieve within our institutions and with the children. It was so refreshing to take the time to sit alone with nothing but your thoughts, a pen and paper. One of my personal goals in coming to Chile was to consummate my independence as a woman. The first step was getting here alone. The second step is being intentional about tracking the progress of my goals in a tangible way. Andy Garberson’s latest blog, “Location, Location, Location,” gives a really great practical way of doing this by creating a collage of “firsts” for every day.

I have learned that it really isn’t enough to simply desire to be a certain type of person, you have to live it. Someone recently told me a phrase that really stuck with me. “Let yourself be defined by your actions.” Although a simple theme, the phrase inherently carries with it a deep-rooted, yet fundamental challenge to be the person you want to be.  As I sit here in Chile, journal in hand, I bring this challenge to you. Wherever you are in life, whether you are traveling abroad in China or Latin America or you are settled in a place you call home, allow yourself to be defined by your actions, and you will actually become the person you want to be.

Lindsey Chapman is currently a volunteer with VE Global, at Colegio Anakena. For more about her experiences, check out her blog.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though I no longer volunteer, that experience will never leave me. It’s with me all the time, whether I try to help a co-worker with a translation or if I see someone drop some garbage on the street and keep walking. There are different levels of volunteering, just like there are different levels of involvement.

For a while I was scared that as time continued to go by I would forget the lessons I learned, or get caught up in my life here and not look back. But that is not the case. Certain events, places, and conversations have lost their sharp call back, but as a whole the experience is there inside of me, as it always will be.

Recently I became aware of a web site called Conversation Exchange. You can register from seemingly anywhere in the world and try to find someone who wants to learn your language and speaks the language you want to learn. You can arrange to meet up or have conversations online, thus both helping each other improve. This service is totally free and could be a good way to meet people when you are away from home, or to meet foreigners if you are at home. I’ll be trying this out soon myself. It might not be volunteering, but it is cultural exchange, which ain’t too shabby.

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