Amy Welborn's interview with Lisa Hendey:
human existence is to focus inward, to believe that the way we live is the norm for the human race, and, taking a slightly different angle, we are tempted to believe that our particular problems and issues are the center of concern for the rest of the human race as well.
In the sense that I do end up writing about our trips, I suppose you could say, “all of the above.” But I’d also add “education” to that list of reasons. I travel with my children in order to give them (and me) amazing opportunities to learn about history, culture, art and most importantly, about different people and cultures around the world.
Pardon me while I continue on this point, because it’s very important to me. One of the great temptations of
Part of the reason travel is important to me is to force myself into confrontation with the reality that my way is not the only way, but help my kids to see that. We’ve not travelled that far afield – we’ve never been to Asia, for example – but there are still enough differences, even among Western nations, for them to learn these lessons on a daily basis on our travels.
In other words, to bring it down to a very practical level, I want my two youngest, one now a teenager and the other on the cusp of pre-teenhood, to understand that the world is a very big place and the values and judgments of a bunch of 9th graders in one corner of the United States should not determine how you think of yourself and the world.
I want them to understand how very different people are – but how we are also the same in our shared humanity, created by a loving God.
