Circumnavigating
globe a daunting adventure for two California women
At 35,000
feet, traveling at 552 mph, we have about five hours left of our 11-hour flight
to Beijing. The week leading up to this moment has been the longest of my life.
I graduated from UCSB on June 15, drove back to the Northern
California the next day, and battled the parental fears of traveling before
finally boarding the 747 silver bird to China. My best friend, Courtney De
Graff, and I are circumnavigating the globe for the next two months. Our
eclectic itinerary takes us through northern China, India, Egypt, Dubai,
Greece, the Czech Republic, western Russia, Germany and Austria.
Our escape from “the real world” has thrown us right into the real
world’s face. All week our parents and friends shot silly concerns at us.
I swear my mother could detect anytime I touched my backpack and
appeared in my doorway to inform me of yet another dire danger.
Besides the merited warnings of diseases and the crippling effect
of the ever-decreasing dollar, Courtney and I also were bombarded about sheiks
buying us as sex slaves, the Russian mafia kidnapping us, and — my
personal favorite — wig makers in India cutting off our hair and running
away. All of these supposed travel risks were somehow consequences of the fact
that Courtney and I both are blondes.
Silly concerns aside, in the half year it took to plan and pay,
the legitimate intensity of the trip never really hit me until the United
flight attendant served the fishiest tasting Chinese noodle soup my mouth has
ever, if only momentarily, appreciated. In the spirit of worldliness, Courtney
swallowed two spoonfuls before declaring, “Nope, I just can’t do it.” I told
her we were going to have to develop our taste buds to successfully travel the
world. She agreed, and then we bought five pounds of duty-free Toblerone chocolate.
I am not worried, though, about travel dangers or culture shock
because I am so overjoyed to visit these places and try new things.
We just need to stay smart and keep open minds. While learning
about these countries, there surely will be disagreements in government or
cultural policy, and probably some concern over the local menu every now and
then, but all that is merely pollen in the air compared to the good ideas,
beautiful beliefs and customs, and awe-inspiring accomplishments every country
has to offer the world.
Now I will just sit back, watch the fifth movie in the lineup, and
happily contemplate our impending adventures in Beijing, the site of the 2008
Olympics.
Lauren
Crecelius is a recent UC Santa Barbara graduate who is documenting for the
Valley Journal her travels and discoveries in nine countries around the globe
from late June through August.