Mountains.
Fresh, clean air.
Greenery without the layer of dust that is found everywhere else.
Travelers from all over the world.
A fusion of cultures.
This is Mcleod Ganj.
But after only a few days of being here, we are disillusioned and ready to move on because it is full of travelers who remind us what tourism and "traveling" really is: Consumerism.
We are consuming culture. We are consuming experiences and places and interactions as if (as Satpreet would say) "they are one more token" to add to the pile and brag about.
But how to make it more meaningful?
So maybe one last day to visit the Buddhist temples and learn more about the Tibet/China issue and then we move on.
Fresh, clean air.
Greenery without the layer of dust that is found everywhere else.
Travelers from all over the world.
A fusion of cultures.
This is Mcleod Ganj.
But after only a few days of being here, we are disillusioned and ready to move on because it is full of travelers who remind us what tourism and "traveling" really is: Consumerism.
We are consuming culture. We are consuming experiences and places and interactions as if (as Satpreet would say) "they are one more token" to add to the pile and brag about.
But how to make it more meaningful?
So maybe one last day to visit the Buddhist temples and learn more about the Tibet/China issue and then we move on.
Thank you for your updates, Kayla! Your posts are like snapshots through your eyes.
ReplyDeleteKayla,
ReplyDeleteI feel ya sister! The initial lust I had for traveling has long since dissipated in me. After my initial trip to Guatemala, I realized that "traveling" is just another form of egotism and ultimately a selfish way to live. It's like each day, you wake up and ask yourself "How can I have the most fun today?" "I can go to the beach, buy some cool clothes, drink a margarita, go dancing, visit a museum....etc. But really that gets old pretty quickly.
I am not saying that you shouldn't travel or take a vacation, but there is another way. You can choose to volunteer along the way. You can choose to visit a place where you have friends and can be immersed into the culture. You could choose one place and stay there- get to know the people, the earth, the food etc.
Kayla - with your eyes open, you are making it more meaningful already. Keep them open, keep breathing - thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete