Whether you are an introvert or an extravert, traveling will force you to open yourself up to new people and their new cultures. When you visit a new place often unfamiliar to you, it will be essential to connect and to communicate with unique individuals for survival as well as for fun. So relax and become a part of the culture. These experiences will broaden your knowledge of our diverse world. Learning about new people and their lifestyles will be something that you will never forget. You will be exposed to new traditions there. If you are fortunate, festivals and local activities may be happening during your visit.
I have experienced many of these throughout my many years of traveling and have thoroughly enjoyed them and have learned so much. Even though I do not indulge in the drinking of beer because I do not like the taste of it, I did have a wonderful experience sharing a beer festival at a small town in Germany called Nila back in the 1980’s. My husband Bill, my son Mark, and I were the only non-locals there. We were traveling around the countryside and accidentally discovered this local fest. It was one of those unplanned events that turned out to be one of our favorite memories in Germany. 
In Bangkok, we got to see and be a part of the birthday celebration for the king. His famous dragon boats rarely seen by anyone were floating on the Chao Phraya River one day while my husband and I were there. They were an incredible sight to behold. In 2012 in Cairo, Egypt, I attended two days of the Chinese Festival celebrated by both Chinese and Egyptians. I watched performances by local talented acrobats in awe and happily danced to a local Chinese hard rock band singing in Chinese there with some close Egyptian friends and students.
In 2008 in Germany my husband and I explored the Wiennachten Market (the famous annual Christmas Market) with our son Mark and German daughter-in-law Susanne who live in Stuttgart. Then we traveled to Balingen an hour away to share a traditional German Christmas and New Year’s Eve/Day with Susanne’s parents and sister Barbi. Our son also was married in a castle in Germany by a barefoot Catholic priest and had a very authentic German style wedding reception at a small hotel with traditional, homemade style German cuisine. Music was provided by a local band of Russians who lived in Balingen. It was a gala experience and very European—many would have considered it a kind of fairy tale wedding. They honeymooned in Paris, France—the most romantic city in the entire world as far as I am concerned. My husband and I have been there several times and have enjoyed spending festive evenings there, such as cruising and partying on the Seine with the French. 
While traveling in the Soviet Union (now called Russia), we attended the popular local attraction the Leningrad Circus. One of the acts was the funniest sight I have ever witnessed—a team of long-haired Russian brown bears playing ice hockey. At first we thought it was people dressed up in bear clothes, but when they began to drool all over the ice rink and hit each other with the hockey sticks, we realized they were the real thing. They were terrible athletes but so hysterical to watch. Our audience of locals and tourists laughed until we were literally crying. I will never forget this humorous night. 
Dancing is a part of all cultures. Because I love to dance, I have found opportunities to dance all over the world from China with some Chinese men who actually joined my husband and me on the dance floor to belly dancing (well sort of, this kind of dancing is not my forte yet) with a real belly dancer on a cruise ship on the Nile River in Cairo and Egyptian style dancing at some engagement parties and weddings I have attended. I have waltzed with local Austrians at a famous dance hall in Vienna, rock-n-rolled in a Cancun, Mexico, disco where my husband and I beat the locals in a dance contest there. I have even participated in the traditional African tribal dance in South Africa and been invited into their makeshift homes. Of course, I also danced to that Russian band at my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding in Germany. Dancing is an excellent way to interact with strangers in other parts of the world because no matter the style of dance, music is universal and is loved by people everywhere. I have also visited places where unrest was occurring.
Protesting is one way many cultures express their discontent for issues in their country. My husband and I have witnessed the Parisians marching in the streets over a controversial school issue and strolled along with them for a short time in order to continue our walking tour of this magnificent city. Our car was trapped momentarily in a traffic jam due to an Islamic march in Stuttgart, Germany, in favor of Gaza and definitely anti-Israel. Of course, having lived in Egypt during its revolutionary period, I have been exposed to much protesting—some violent and have heard people get hurt and even die very close to me. However, one day I did have a pleasant experience of walking for a very short time with some local Egyptian families from children to grandparents. I bought a small Egyptian flag from one of the women there and proudly carried it. I still own this flag and use it often in my photos and t-shirts I now design. 
I have had the unique experience to celebrate some American holidays in foreign lands. These include two Fourth of July celebrations—one at the American Embassy in Shanghai, China. This was in 1986, and China was not progressive at this time. The USA flew in Big Macs for us to eat, but the celebration still had a Chinese flair. The other holiday was spent at a hotel in Villefrenche, France, a small town between Nice and Monte Carlo that my family visited four different summer holidays. The hotel owner who became a friend of ours would fly our flag and acknowledge this holiday in our honor. He was also a member of a famous pit crew for a French race car driver and loved to share his photos with our son Mark. I celebrated with two million Egyptians on January 25, 2012, on Egypt’s first independence day after the official removal of President Mubarak in 2011. This was one of the highlights of my life by the way. The joy felt by all on this special day was beyond words. I have also celebrated my birthday of June 30 in places like China, France, and Belgium with foods and activities available in those areas. 
At home I travel by my own personal car. Atlanta is a commuter city for the most part. However, when traveling, I have had to learn how to use many different modes of transportation. Of course, taxi cabs are used frequently, but I have also mastered using mass transit buses and metro underground train systems all over the world where available. Discovering and successfully maneuvering around the various international airports and their procedures can be a challenge at times because of language barriers and unfamiliarity of the airport terminals. The more unusual forms of transportation include tut tut rides in Thailand, a donkey ride up the hill on the island of Santorini, Greece, an ostrich ride in South Africa, a camel ride in Giza, a skylift to Flat Top Mountain in Capetown, South Africa, crossing narrow swinging bridges by foot, and a horse and buggy ride in Savannah, Georgia. I have cruised many rivers—the Nile, the Seine, the Rheine, the Danube, the Thames—just to name a few. I have coasted across the sea in a hovercraft from England to Belgium, cruised the sea from Stockholm to Oslo and from Spain to Morocco and island hopped many of the Greek Isles in the Adriatic Sea in several small to large ships. Of course, there was also that once-in-a-lifetime hot air balloon ride in Kenya which was so unbelievable.
Not all events have been happy though. I have witnessed funeral processions. One was in the city of Singapore City, Singapore. The body was carried on a platform surrounded with a curtain around it. The immediate family followed behind them. All other members of the funeral procession walked behind them on the way to the burial area. No vehicles were used. It was interesting but sad, of course.
Traveling has allowed me to grow in my understanding of the world. It has provided me the opportunity to experience things I would not have been able to conceive if I had not done this firsthand. It forces me to leave my comfort zone and explore the unknown. It has been a joy most of the time but occasionally also a little uncomfortable and maybe even painful. But it certainly has resulted in something so miraculous and awesome for me. I have developed a far greater sensitivity to the pain of human beings in general. I have shared both their happiness and their sadness and have learned how their culture handles both of these situations. It has also made me see my life in a very different perspective and a much deeper appreciation. Because of this, I wish to share my new insights about my life-changing travel experiences with the world. My blogs, my new book on my life in Egypt, and my poetry and other forms of writing are now enabling me to do this and to share my messages.
Randi D. Ward
November 8, 2013
4 Responses to Travel to Discover New Cultures