The interesting thing about travel is that you automatically compare the country you are in with the one you live in. In doing so, there is a danger that you don’t see the country for what it is. It is only natural though to compare because you judge things on what you know. Here lies the problem, if you judge everything on what you know, when do you allow things just to be different without making them worse or better from what you have come from.Let’s take Italy for example. Many Australians come to Italy, and are horrified that you have to pay for most of the beach space here. Australia is blessed with expansive, clean and crystal clear water beaches. In Italy, you have limited beach space and often the sand is madeup of pebbles or rocks (depending on the region). One look tells an Australian that Italian beaches are inferior but to the Europeans, Italian beaches are sought after. Imagine landlocked European countries like Belgium or Nordic countries like Norway, to them Italian beaches are a haven.
There are also two sides to everything. You need to pay for Italian beaches because there are so many people here (60 million in the size of Victoria) plus all the tourists that visit (around 40 million annually). You need to pay to keep the beaches clean and to help to maintain them. Right or Wrong? Better or Worse? Maybe it is just different – and that’s why we travel, to experience different things.
Before comparing, it is great to be open to where you are and act as an objective observer. Then you can see the country for what it is, without making the country and its people better or worse. It can also help you to appreciate what you have without forcing your opinions on others. To me, travel is about expanding your vision and opening up to different ways of doing things without judgement. Then you can sought through all the ideas and find out what is real for you.
