Have you ever read a memoir that you couldn't put down? They are rare, but I've found one: A World Erased: A Grandson's Search for His Family's Holocaust Secrets. Author Noah Lederman (we've shared his book, Traveling the Cambodian Genocide, here) delves into his family's past - both in the United States, and at different concentration camps and towns in Europe.

My hair looks different, my backpack is always open, and I have a medium brown complexion. I'm sun-kissed. I am kissed by the sun. Now, if you live in Boston or in Medford, where I go to Tufts, and you saw me walking down the street, you'd probably make nothing of it. 

I was waiting for the ferry from Montevideo to Buenos Aires with my friends a few weeks ago. A long way from Boston. I was charging my phone when a kid walked up to me and asked in Spanish "Why are you brown?"

"You're brown all over. You look like soil."

In this world of continual distractions, those with the ability to be present enough to notice things have an unfair advantage. My drive from Utah to Minnesota has taught me that I can have that advantage, too. All I have to do is remember to breathe, pause, and focus on one thing at a time. A long road trip is the perfect place to practice this sort of thinking. 

Motown the Musical is a thrilling story that takes place throughout the history of one of the greatest record labels in history. Motown Records was responsible for countless hits, innumerable cultural influences, and was an important avenue for social activism and black culture. 

I drove from Utah to South Dakota yesterday, once again confirming that if I were a trucker, I’d be fired. I stopped along the way to look at interesting buildings, snap pictures with my iPhone, and once I even stopped to take a nap. I’ve travelled a lot in my life, but I’ve never achieved the air of a seasoned traveler. I am a clunky, curious sort, laboring forth with way too much emotional and literal baggage. Still, I am proud of the progress I’ve made so far on this journey. 

Travel can be hard – challenging at times, less than comfortable, and the stresses of dealing with unfamiliar cultures, people, and food. This can sometimes overwhelm the joys of travel – the wonder of the newly discovered, the kindness of people, the breathtaking scenery. Travel is as much about the journey within as the journey without. It’s about cultural adaptation, and changing worldviews, and intercultural growth. And, it’s about being open to learning, trying new things, understanding difference.