Change is inevitable; growth is optional

Seemingly every week, I oscillate between to opposing opinions of the merits of seeing the world. On the one hand, this assignment has taught me that seeing the world is not nearly as important as being close to the ones you love. That travelling and seeing the world really adds no value to your life. What do you really gain from seeing the Eiffel Tower (as I've done twice), or seeing the Mayan temples in Yucatan (as I've done twice)? A picture? I can buy one of those in a store and it will be of higher quality than the one I take. Bragging rights? Taking a vacation for the three minutes it takes you to tell the story of climbing to the top of the Mayan temple is an expensive way to get a story. So travelling as a means to an end is pointless.

On the other hand, if you take the time to experience the people, see not just the tourist destinations, but absorb the livelihood, you are enriched beyond your wildest imagination. Most people spend their vacations moving from one tourist destination to the next so they can say they've been there, seen that, done that. You gain very little from that, besides the few historical facts you'll obtain from the guided tour.

What living in Jakarta, versus visiting Jakarta, has taught me is to really gain anything from international travel, you have to experience it. Go and eat where the locals eat, not at the American restaurants, or the ones in your hotel. Find the places where the locals eat (if you can eat there safely). Don't buy a hamburger, try the local favorite. Instead of staying by the pool at your hotel, or only visiting museums and amusement parks, walk the streets. Shop where the locals shop. See where the locals live, love, and play. Take your kids to the parks, the beaches, and the playgrounds that locals do.

I've been to over fifteen nations in my life on over twenty different vacations. The ones I cherish most are the summer I spent in Mexico, the summer I spent in Germany, and my time here in Jakarta. I walked away with a richer understanding of how people in those countries lives, and how they view Americans.

The biggest impact Jakarta has had on me is my view of America, and the American way of life. I won't return a minimalist, but I will return with a much different perspective on the value of possessions. I will return with a much different view of Muslims, and stronger opinions on how the media, especially the conservative media, portray Muslims. Most importantly, I will return with a stronger appreciation for America's capacity to provide opportunity to anyone willing to work hard enough to find it.