Love Learn Lead August 24, 2017

One of my favorite aspects of traveling to new places, is how it changes my perspective. Sometimes it gives me a deeper understanding of the world, and other times it gives me a greater knowledge of myself. Both, I feel, are so important in living our lives to the best of our ability.

For today’s Love, Learn, Lead, I share a “must-pack” travel item I love, a lesson I learned on my trip to India, and a quote on travel that pertains to leadership.

Love

I have always been one of those people who NEEDS to wash their hair every day. My hair just doesn’t look good on the second day, which has made overnight flights to far off places a little hard. I’m not sure anyone steps off an all-night flight looking amazing, but greasy hair sure doesn’t help. That is why I am so glad someone invented dry shampoo—and that my hair stylist recommend this brand. It has made my daily life a little more flexible, and travel that much more enjoyable. We are leaving for vacation soon, and you can be sure, I bought one in travel size to pack.

What is one of your “must-pack” travel items?

Learn

“The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.”

–Shirley MacLaine

Eight years ago, I found myself on a train in the middle of India. We were heading home. A group of doctors and teachers from our church used to go to a remote area in southern India, to work at a hospital and school there. As a part of my job, I was given the opportunity to go on one of their trips to help teach English to seventh and eighth graders. It had been an incredible experience.

About an hour or so into our long train ride, I was given a choice. I could continue to ride in our air conditioned train car and try to sleep, or I could join my friend and his daughter as they headed back to the other cars on the train. Staying where I was would be playing it safe, and if this trip had taught me anything, I didn’t want to miss out in the name of safety. I went along.

We walked through another air conditioned car before making our way into the cars with bars on the windows instead of glass. A kaleidoscope of reds, yellows, and purples—the beautiful colors of women’s sari’s—greeted us. Children were selling food and other items in the aisle, and there was a cacophony of conversations.

At one point, my friend started talking with a man who wanted us to meet his family. He lead us to where they were sitting and invited us to join them. Across from us, sat his wife and daughters. They were dressed from head to toe in black, with only the bridge of their noses and their eyes showing. They were Muslim.

I couldn’t help but wonder what they thought of us. What they had heard about Americans and if they felt any fear of being around us. The news back home had done more than enough to convince us that we should fear Muslims, why shouldn’t they fear or feel angry at us? But as we talked with this beautiful family, I knew so much of the fear had been manufactured based on the actions of a few.