I aimlessly travel, meaning I have no agenda other than to get small in the world, be quiet and observe people – Walton Goggins
I’ve been toying with the idea of a small world since I started the Cambodia series. Words have come in fits and spurts, and none of it feels cohesive. After all, the idea of a small world is kind of strange – the world isn’t small. Earth is the fifth-largest planet, and its circumference at the equator is over 24,000 miles. More than 7 billion people call Earth home. So, in reality, the world really isn’t that small. But I’ve found, more often than not, travel makes the world feel small.
We can travel more fluidly than ever before. Although not the cheapest (or most environmentally friendly option), airline companies are providing more flights than ever. According to the FAA website, the US alone handles more than 44,000 flights a day. USA Today says there were over 45 million flights in 2018. And that’s just in the air. Trains go faster; cars go farther. Cruise ships take vacationers to new lands. It never ceases to amaze me that I can wake up in one country and lay my head down to sleep somewhere else. I think about this every time I travel, no matter where I’m going. What a fantastic world we live in.
Of course, as I travel more, the world seems to shrink. There’s nothing like learning about a place by putting your hands in the dirt. Degrees of separation between other people and me shrink considerably. New places remind me of places I’ve already been to. Arriving in a new place brings with it a mix of emotions. It’s both completely foreign and like coming home, at the same time. The world is small, and although there are many things that are new and confusing, there are also many things I can relate to.
The World is Small and People are People
For me, Cambodia held some of this smallness, reminding me that we’re all not so different as we might sometimes think. Consistently, I see things and people that remind me of experiences I’ve had in other parts of the world. Our first few days in the country, I’m struck by how much I’m reminded of Ethiopia. There’s a similar smell – a mix of woodfire, of trash and urine, of heat. Walking through the streets is a precarious business. You must remain aware, careful to step over and around the piles of garbage – there’s no telling what’s in there or how long it’s been sitting. Still, it’s not uncommon to see people rifling through it, searching for something salvageable.
At other times, I leave Cambodia, my mind taking me back to Central America, to Nicaragua and El Salvador. As I walk the streets of Cambodia, occasionally I’ll pass trees painted in whitewash a few feet up the trunk. When I first saw this in Nicaragua, I asked the child painting, “Why are you painting the tree?”. Her response – “Es divertido.” It’s fun. Although there was no one around in Cambodia to ask, I imagine the sentiment is the same. There seems to be an innate desire in humans to make their space more beautiful.
Watching children and families pass the time on the Riverwalk a community area along the Mekong River, reminded me of the simple pleasures people take in all countries. Family and community are important parts of Cambodian culture. After so many family members were separated and killed by the Khmer Rouge, holding tight to loved ones has a new meaning. Regardless of our cultural heritage, spending more time with friends and family is time well spent.
There’s the presence of home, despite the distance. More often than not, we pay with US dollars, and English is widely prevalent. We even found a grocery store selling Ben & Jerry’s ice cream – for a mere $8 a pint. While meeting with a group of female Cambodia students at the American embassy, we hear stories about their exposure to Peace Corps volunteers. For some of these girls, they learned English through classes put on by volunteers, and it changed their lives considerably. In small ways and big ways, we all have the opportunity to positively affect the lives of everyone we meet.
A few days later, while having a drink and a snack at a rooftop bar, Vicki and I run into some of the American volunteers from that embassy meeting. We recognize each other and our small chat brings a feeling of familiarity I don’t often feel while traveling. Usually, although things are both the same and different as home, they’re more different. It’s easy to remember I’m only a visitor. But sharing this exchange at the bar blurs the lines between “home” and “away”.
Even our hotel has made an effort to close the gaps between people and cultures. As a small gesture, although immediately noticed and appreciated, are the electrical outlets. They are funny little things, containing nearly all possible combinations. Although I packed adapters, this small convenience isn’t lost on me. In its own small way, it reminds me that the world is small and there’s space for us all.
Travel makes the world a smaller place. By giving each of us more experience to draw on, the world becomes more connected inside each of us. Get out there and travel. Go connect the world! Until next time, friends!
