What Have I Learned?

I guess you shouldn't be surprised when I tell you that a teacher-friend of mine asked this of me on Facebook. I mean, we're all about learning, right? Anyway, he was the first one to ask me that, so he made me think about it in a way I hadn't before. Sure, I felt that I would learn something from this trip- who wouldn't? And, I felt that I probably had learned something by now, but hadn't put it to words.

So, Hugo, wherever you are, thank you for giving me the opportunity to think about....

What Have I Learned?

*No matter what the background, everyone wants the same thing- a decent job, some dignity, the ability to support a family.

*People are basically nice. To date, I've never encountered any flak for being American.

*I really don't need a closet full of clothes nor do I need an apartment full of stuff to be happy.

*I may be traveling with only one bag of possessions, but I've seen people who own a whole lot less.

*More people than you think still rely on wooden carts being pulled by donkeys, oxen, or camels.

*And, they live in mud and straw houses. Srsly.

*And, they sweep with bundles of reeds only 2ft long.

*You can fit an entire family of 4 on one motorcycle.

*I like school kids, no matter where they are from.

*As Americans, we are very isolated. We don't have to worry about attacks from neighboring countries, refugees flooding in across the borders (whatever # of illegal aliens we get, it's not what other countries in Africa or India get), cholera epidemics, or a government so corrupt that it would rather see the entire nation die of hunger and thirst than change.

*America is diverse, yet we don't have bloody clashes involving whole cities or states over ethnicity or religion.

*Democracy isn't always the answer. Some countries have wonderful monarchies and, for lack of a better word, dictators who genuinely care for the well-being of their people.

*Many countries rely on man-, woman-, and even childpower to build skyscrapers and repair roads.

*What I've paid for one cup of coffee in a Western-style coffeeshop in Egypt, Jordan, and India is about what one person earns in a day in that country.

*In America EVERYONE can have the opportunities to improve their lives by hard work and education. (hello, President Obama) That is not the case in many of the countries I've seen.

*Not enough Americans travel internationally, and those that do seem to stick to Europe.

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That is a good start. Some of you may be asking what kind of lessons will I carry with me or how will these experiences affect my life, but I think I'll have to wait until I get home to find out.