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TRAVEL
TRAVEL COMFORT ZONE
– By Heather Rath
Once upon a time the idea of leaving Canada and travelling go to Viet Nam, he looked at me with agreeable surprise. I
abroad terrified me. I suffered from extreme culture shock. knew then I had finally conquered my fear.
Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t sleep. Panic attacks. Not the usual
Without travelling I would never experience the mouthway you want to spend a vacation.
watering seafood Ceviche in a stately restaurant in Peru or
On the other hand, Norm, my husband, hit the ground dined on blue-skinned chicken, its blood used for a nourishing
running in a foreign country. Loved the challenge soup, in Beijing, or consumed tartar de carne (minced raw
of unfamiliarity: not knowing the language, finding beef with seasonings) in a Parisian bistro after which I suffered
a debilitating bout of stomach sickness.
accommodation without a prior booking.
Needless to say, I was the reluctant traveller. So why
would I go to these off-the-beaten track locations, like the
Amazon jungle or Amman in Jordan or Lhasa in Tibet, that
he embraced with fervent joy? Why subject myself to this
highest form of fear?
Because deep down inside me I knew I wanted to experience
my own unadulterated delight in exploring a culture other
than my own. But I needed to reach that comfort zone by
myself. It took years, leaning on him for support, before I
reached that level of his joy. One year, when I suggested we
Travelling introduced me to the kindness of people worldwide
and enriched my appreciation of new adventures. It also
introduced me to those who take advantage of a foreigner
in new territory... like the carpet peddler in Istanbul who
pestered and followed us insisting we share the name of our
hotel in case we changed our mind to buy.
Join me on my blog as we encounter what it’s like to be a
stranger in a strange land! •
Heather Rath is an award-winning writer, past editor of a weekly
newspaper and monthly magazine, before heading communications
at a multi-national company. Follow her writings at
www.heatherrath.net/blog
Next time you travel: BRING YOUR OWN
Did you know most plastic single-use water bottles are filled with nothing else than unregulated tap
water? These plastic water bottles are detrimental to our environment, only 30% of them are actually
recycled, never break down in a landfill, and studies show they even leach chemicals into the water...
(read more facts on our website).
Next time you travel – regardless of location – bring a reusable water bottle. Once you pass through
customs with your emptied bottle, you can fill it at the airport, on the aircraft, and upon arrival at
your destination... and it will save you a lot of money!
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