The Joy of Traveling

I traveled to the Philippines and Indonesia for 3 weeks in March. The trip was different from last one -in Sri Lanka- because we visited our programs for only 2 days and spent the rest of the time in workshops -read in conference rooms. I didn't experience anything truly local -apart from food, which I have to say was delicious.


There are a few elements common to all trips, though. One is that I am always afraid of sounding condescending when I talk to my colleagues -because I come from the US, which is the organization's biggest financial donor, which means that we are both respected and highly critized. Being from the US means that I represent both my organization's point of view, whether I like it or now, and the country's political position in the world, which is better now thanks to people's good opnion of Obama. Also, I don't want to be perceived as a white person who doesn't know anything about development's best practices -which is difficult since I feel I really do not know what I'm talking about most of the time! All of that means that I always try to find a balance when I travel between what I represent, what I can say, and the way I handle myself and approach people. It is always interesting to see yourself through other culture's eyes. I remember that in the DRC people couldn't believe the way white people treat their dogs. They kept asking me: "do you really buy special dog food? Do your dogs really sleep inside your house?" I could see in their eyes that they thought white people -wazungu- were crazy -and who could blame them?


The best parts of business trips for me are early morning/late evening alone time and car rides -the best thing would be to walk, but we mostly ride cars during these trips. The first gives me time to think, reflect, pray, and write. Business trips are draining, and it's good to go back to the hotel and just relax for a couple of hours before bed time. I come to a lot of aha moments when I travel and have time to be silent and think without interruption. I ofeten miss that when I come back home and get by into the rush of life without blinking. The second allows me to discover the culture of a country through landscapes and stolen moments. I love these little flashes of life -children playing, people chatting on the side of the road, women walking together. In the first week in the Philippines, we rode 8 hours in one day and I enjoyed every minute of it.

This trip was interesting. I met a lot of people, networked a lot, learnt a lot about myself (as cliche as it sounds) and about development. I also had time to appreciate new cultures, new food, and witness how people live their daily lives. I really love traveling -and love traveling to Asia in particular. Next up: DC for 2 weeks starting on Monday. I will be back right on time for Joe and my fifth annoversary. 5 years already. How time flies!




Cebu, Philippines.


Jakarta from hotel room.