“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
Thursday March 28th 2024

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  • ZC

    I wonder if Aaron J has taken a trip out of the country in the past two years.

  • http://www.facebook.com/lm.mccormick.5 LM McCormick

    Liked your article very much Jay!

  • Anon103

    Aaron J you need to gain more perspective bro. Choosing not to travel is one thing but being against it is a complete tragedy and another issue. Having never been out of California if actually why you feel this way. How can your opinion of “world travelers” travelling hold any validity?
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” -Mark Twain

  • Couturekiss

    Aaron J stay yo ass at home nucca

  • Anon

    But you’re commenting on a travel blog tho…. :-/ #Confused ???

  • Aaron J

    I have lived in California all my life. I have ZERO interest in traveling to other countries. Let me explain why. The ends do not justify the means. A 10 to 20 hour flight? Thousands of dollars spent on hotels and flight and activities? I don’t think so. Just to see different geography and culture? In my opinion, it’s just not worth the misery of sitting on a plane going crazy. The hassle of packing, spending money on hotels, over rated trendy activities that I can easily do in my hometown or within driving distance. I see culture ALL DAY LONG! Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Italian, Thai, Middle Eastern, and honestly, I don’t feel comfortable with any of their cultures, it’s not me or my style! Why should I subject myself to something I don’t like or need? So why would I want to travel a million miles away from my comfort zone to be uncomfortable and spend thousands to do it? Just because I’m not comfortable with it doesn’t mean I don’t respect it. A lot of these “world travelers” who claim to have epiphanies about “perspective” need to open up their minds just a tad bit more and realize that a great perspective in life is not limited just to world travelers. As an American, I don’t criticize other cultures in the world and say “you need to travel to America more to gain perspective!” in fact I say do whatever it is you do as long as you don’t force your culture or agenda on to me. For people who seek out traveling and other cultures, by all means do it, you love it, so do it. Equally and just as valid, I tend to hate it and find it to be extremely inconvenient, exhausting and financially draining. My point is why is it so hard for world travelers with “perspective” to accept or care that Americans, not all, don’t like traveling over seas? Who gives a shit. To each their own. Individualism, everyone is different!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_L3SAK5EFCVLNSFPCJ75N2MZLMU Farsighted Girl

    Excellent, well-taken points. It’s not just African Americans, a lot of Americans in general revel in not traveling and not caring about other cultures. I Americans would be much more culturally sensitive and aware if more disposable income was used to travel beyond resort gates.

  • Pingback: Urban Travel Girl » Black women need to experience the world—and let it experience THEM right back

  • Jay

    walkthespirit – excellent blog about Paris. I wished I’d known you when I traveled to Paris.

    dnlee5, Thank you. You mentioned another site – but I didn’t see the URL in your comment.

  • walkthespirit

    Hey Jay,
    Excellent list and excellent reasons to get out of the armchair.
    For anyone wanting some perspective on African-Americans who up and left the States for better opportunities, specifically in France, check my blog Spirit of Black Paris. Many had to leave so they could shine bright.
    Thanks,
    http://www.spiritofblackparis.blogspot.com

  • dnlee5

    great post. Thanks for sharing Rue. I have another site to ear mark. I love traveling. I’ve been quite fortunate to travel alot for school/work. I love being a scientist, and the best benefits is travel. I do biology because it affords me the opportunity to travel to alot places – 3 continents, 7 countries, and most of the states.

  • Jay

    Why thank you Rue. Please keep building Outdoor Afro – we have to know there’s something beyond the concrete jungle.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rulette Rue Mapp

    Jay,

    I just LOVE your site and am sharing this very well done post broadly. Keep shining your light!