“Connection is a basic human need. In our world today, so many people feel disconnected, isolated, and alone. Travel connects us in a couple of different ways. First, it helps us reconnect with ourselves. Getting away from the stresses of day-to-day life is an opportunity to recharge and check in with our own thoughts and emotions.”
Kim Gibbons of Cruise Dreams has provided this second interview with VP Partner Jon McGraw regarding the impact of travel and international perspectives on connection, inclusion, mindfulness, and and more. Here’s an excerpt.
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November 21, 2019
Excerpt: Jon McGraw: In addition, traveling to new places, and experiencing new things automatically expands our perspectives, opening us up to connect with new people and different ways of thinking. Our world becomes bigger.
Kim: That’s so true. I always tell people, you may think you know what a place is like or how people in other countries live, but you have no idea until you’re there. I’ve literally been traveling since I was a child, so it’s difficult for me to put into words how much it has shaped my perspective.
Jon: I mentioned this when we talked about mindfulness, too. There’s a quote I like – “We don’t see the world the way it is. We see it the way we are.” That’s true, but when we travel, we approach it with curiosity. We’re open to learning. We allow ourselves to take in different ideas. Travel has the power to positively change the way we are.
In our company’s work with clients, we talk about “in-groups” and “out-groups.” We all have “in-groups” or social groups that we identify with psychologically. On the flip side, “out-groups” are social groups where we don’t see ourselves as members. These groups can be based on many things, including gender, ethnicity, age, or religion.
We all have in-group favoritism, where we subconsciously favor people who are members of a shared in-group. The neuroscience behind this concept is extremely compelling. Research shows our brains react differently to situations based on our perceived in-group and out-group connections.
What travel does is expand our thinking. It gives us new opportunities to discover commonalities with a more diverse population. In effect, we expand our in-group connections as we embrace the ideas and cultures of others. […]
