Traveling Changes My World
When I left Omaha, Nebraska, you would have thought a movie star was taking off from our small airport. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. Every relative I can think of was there to say goodbye. I had to fly from Omaha to Chicago and then to New York. When the plane took off from New York, the excitement began to set in about my new adventure in life.
I never really thought about people speaking a different language until I had to change planes in Belgium. While on the flight from Belgium to Frankfurt, lox, cream cheese, and a bagel was served. To a Nebraska girl, the lox looked like raw fish. It was at that moment that I began realizing that I was not only leaving town but also my country.
Even though my family traveled to California, Missouri, and Tennessee, I still saw some of the same things in these areas as I saw at home. There was not much difference – the dress was the same; the language was the same – the only thing different that I remember is that in Tennessee, they ate fish and grits.
In 1961 no African Americans were working at the airline counters, none were working at the ticket counter, and there were absolutely no black pilots. The only black person I saw was the guy handling the luggage. When I got on that airplane, my world turned white, and the first black person I saw was Charles when he picked me up at the airport in Germany.
That first experience of meeting the challenges of the unknown are unforgettable. Someone spoke to me in German, and all I could do was smile and shrug my shoulders, indicating that I did not understand what was said.
Once I arrived in Germany, I became hooked for life on traveling. The world became so much more significant. I quickly learned that travel is exciting, educational, rewarding, and liberating. Things I’d read in books about Germany and its people suddenly became clear in my mind.
Not long after my arrival, an older lady asked me, “do black people grow tails after dark?” This myth is what many white soldiers told the Germans about the African American soldier. At that time, the African American soldiers could not be off-post or off-base after nightfall. The Germans were curious about this and wanted to know why. To disprove myths like this and others about African Americans, we must travel and represent our own culture and truths.
Sometimes not on purpose we often will lump everyone in the same stereotypical basket. For example, usually in the United States, our opinion is that everyone who speaks Spanish is the same, with minimal variations. The media allows us to believe that most Hispanics are Mexican. Quite often, guest visiting Costa Rica expect Mexican food knowing this is not Mexico. The United States Federal Government often groups people for information gathering purposes and in many cases, does not distinguish between the persons’ origin.
Unfortunately, many of our visitors participate only in tourist attractions and are hesitant to venture off the advertised tourist path. For this reason, La Terraza also offers Authentic Tours. Costa Rica is much more than zip lines and the beach. Costa Rica is exciting! Visiting La Terraza Guest House B&B will give you an opportunity to discover the people, the climate, the culture, and its rich history.
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