Most people know that traveling changes you. Visiting new places and being immersed in new cultures, customs, and ways of thinking are developmental for people. I visited Costa Rica for a week, and my experiences changed me for the better.
1. Developed nations like the U.S., Canada, and most of Europe are so freaking rich, and we don’t even know it.
As I drove from San Jose to La Fortuna on my first day, I passed by tiny shacks that were just a few feet from the main road. I remember vividly that one of these shacks had a utility pole sticking out of it. Someone had a utility pole sticking out of the place they lived. The roof was literally cut to fit around it.
I just thought, wow to myself.
Click here to read about my time in La Fortuna and click here to read about my time in Tamarindo.
There are an infinite amount of examples and stories of people living in poverty. But my point is, in the developed world, we are soooo rich, and we take it for granted.
A quick google search brings back the results that the average annual income per person in the US is more than $70,000. In Costa Rica, it’s about $12,000. In Ethiopia, it’s less than $1,000.
Yes, I understand that not everyone in the US is rich. In fact, most people aren’t rich, and many people in live in deep poverty. But as a whole, collectively, developed nations are insanely, incredibly, astonishingly rich. We not only have wealth, but we also have access to capital through credit, loans, and investments, whereby many people in poverty lack simple access to capital.
Taking this deeper, most people know that the industrialized nations also produce the most greenhouse gas emissions. We are causing climate change, which impacts everyone on earth.
However, it’s the people in poverty who suffer the most because they have with much fewer resources to prevent, prepare, and recover from disasters. So essentially, the rich nations of the world are creating the conditions for climate change, but it the poorer people of the world, who are less able to deal with it and bearing the brunt of it. It’s very disturbing and disheartening.
2. Despite our wealth, we don’t gather together
One thing I noticed while driving through small towns and villages in the evening was that as the day came to an end, most people sat outside in front of their home with other people talking.
I fondly remember coming home from class or work and talking with my roommates. I remember gathering around a meal and talking to people about their day and what they would be doing on the weekend.
With wealth comes the ability to purchase homes and isolate ourselves from other people. With out wealth also comes self-isolation and loneliness.
I am much more aware of inviting other people into my home to spend time and to enjoy all that we do have.
3. I appreciate safety measures more
It’s fun to travel to Latin America. The lifestyle is different; it’s more of a free for all. I walked along the road to places; I jaywalked. I jumped off of rocks into a creek. I hiked a volcano lake in the middle of the rain forest with little to no cell phone service. I swam in the lake at the top of the volcano.
But on my way into Tamarindo, our shuttle suddenly crawled to a halt. And then I saw: a man in a tank top lying face up in the street. His leg was bloody, his black nike flip flop strewn about. Another person, on the ground. A red moped crashed into the ground. It was a fatal accident with at least one person who died. I don’t know the full story, since I was just in a shuttle and saw the scene for less than 3 minutes.
There was a silent hush over the small crown of people who had gathered around. I wasn’t sure how much earlier it had taken place, but there was no sign of emergency vehicles in sight. From that point on, I was extra cautious on my trip, and thankful for things like sidewalks and stoplights.
3. I am a lot more patient now
I did a good amount of traveling through Costa Rica. I was in a vehicle that someone else was driving for probably about 15 hours on the trip. There was a lot of traffic. We snaked through small towns. We took turns going over single lane bridges. We took bumpy back roads as a detour because of the fatal accident.
Being back in the U.S. now, I am much more patient when driving. When I pull up to a stop sign, I don’t get upset at the other drivers who aren’t paying attention. I am more relaxed and thankful for having a safe trip.