Mel, Why do you travel?

Mel, Why do you travel?

When I was younger I was very fortunate to be surrounded by a diverse group of people. My first group of friends were Black, Filipino and Iranian. My parent's friends were Haitian, Jamaica, Iranian, White, Italian, Japanese and Hispanic. My parents moved us from Brooklyn to the DMV, but we would travel back to NY almost every weekend and I would be surrounded by Caribbeans and Puerto Ricans. I was raised in a Haitian-American household, but my mother is part Italian and she would tell me stories about how her aunts would speak Italian and tell me about their culture. My dad is part Hispanic and would always remind me of his Cuban and Dominican roots. He would speak about his Cuban grandfather with the good hair. Every summer we would go to Miami and I would hang out with my Cuban and Dominican friends. I grew up constantly learning about the world. When I was a kid I thought everyone was surrounded by diversity, but I was wrong.

Mel in Haiti

My grade school was 90% white and my high school was 75% black. It was in school that I realized that most people weren't aware of other people's cultures. I also noticed that when we weren't exposed to different cultures we can form inaccurate opinions about people who are different from us.

Even though I was exposed to many different cultures I knew I had so much more to learn. I always lived in a very liberal bubble and I was surrounded with people who thought the same way that I do. My solution was to travel!

Mel's Flight to L.A

Currently, I have been to 4 different countries and have explored 29 different states. I think traveling is one of the best things I have ever done.

During my travels I have met good people who practice a different religion than me, I have met people who fall on the opposite political spectrum then me and I have met people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. I have learned so much that I would never had known if I stayed in my area.

All of this learning has transformed me into a better person. I realized that although I thought I was well informed I was making biased opinions about people based on my limited knowledge. I have had conversations with people whose views greatly differ from mine. These conversations have really opened my eyes. Usually, a conversation like the ones I had during my travels would end in arguments. Instead, both parties would come together with an open mind to learn.

I encourage everyone to travel outside of their zip code to explore and learn with an open mind. You'll be surprised how much you will have in common with people who are different than yourself. You will also have an opportunity to learn and grow.

So why do I love traveling? I love it because I meet wonderful people who have helped me grow into the amazing person I am and I have learned things that I would never have learned if I didn't leave my backyard.

Mel in Las Vegas