Rick Steves:
A tourist to me is got a bucket list. You’re checking off things, you’re getting nice selfies, you’re having some great time on the beach, you’re hanging out with your own friends, you’re changing the weather, but you’re not changing your culture.
You see, that’s a legitimate kind of travel, but you’ve got a pretty low bar if that’s why you’re traveling.
As a teacher, I want to embrace culture shock as a good and constructive thing. Not something to avoid, but something that is valuable. Product of thoughtful travel. It’s the growing pains of a broadening perspective. I just love this notion, John, that you can learn a lot about your home by leaving it and looking at it from a distance.