For me, the choice to visit Europe was a simple one and I'm so happy that I will be able to take this trip with my family, since I haven't had the opportunity to take a vacation with them for the last five years. While it was indeed tempting to take a trip down to New York, there is nothing quite like visiting a land overseas.
The thing that excites me most about this trip though is the opportunity to become immersed in another culture.
Ever since taking a choir trip to Cuba in my grade 12 year at Luther College High School I have been fascinated by the way in which individuals define themselves by their culture, and the amazing way in which the many diverse cultures of the world value things differently. Since returning to university last Fall, I have again fallen in love with the fields of Anthropology and Sociology, so this trip provides an exceptional chance for me to take in cultures of countries which have heavily influenced our own Canadian culture but which also have cultures which are very much their own. I feel like this trip will help me to better understand what it's like to be a global citizen, while also possibly teaching me a little bit more about what it means to be Canadian.
What I love using to discover another culture is the arts; I believe that nothing describes a culture quite as vibrantly as what they create within their own definitions of beauty. So obviously one of my intentions is to take in as many concerts as I can, while also taking time to take in various theatre productions or even just taking time to wander around the different locales we will be visiting.
I'm not sure how much I'll be posting over the course of this trip, but you can bet that whatever I do post will likely be a combination of touristy stuff and cultural observations, however quaint they may be. (I'll try to post at least once a week, but I'm not making any promises).
No comments:
Post a Comment