Week 5: Rukmini - From Coast to Coast

“Attention passengers, we will be arriving at our destination in 496 words. Fasten your seatbelts and keep your tray tables upright.”

Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of traveling because of my dad’s business trips, and my aunt’s innate ability to find cheap travel deals through Costco. Traveling was always so fun for me, but gained even more value as I grew older. 

Whether it was visiting stalls at markets and eating local street foods, or seeing landmarks I’ve only ever seen in books or pictures with my own eyes, there is something about traveling that simply sticks with you when you reminisce over the souvenirs and memories you’ve made. 

However, as the children and adults of my family grew older, we didn’t have the time to board a 17-hour flight. But, while I haven’t exactly taken international flights recently, my family has tried traveling within America more, and it’s honestly been pretty eye-opening. 

Before, the only states I’ve visited were Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Still a lot, but 3/50 is not a comprehensive list. I was then brought along to some of my dad’s business trips: to New York, New Jersey, and Washington. 

It made me realize that when traveling internationally, we expect the culture to be vastly different from our own. We are more open to trying new customs, foods, and languages because, “When in Rome, eat like a Roman.” 

Before visiting these new states, I actually had no clue how different these states were from California. It got me thinking how different America could be, even though we all stand under one flag, one pledge, and one national anthem. 

Washington is a lot more respectful of native lands and names. So many of the roads are named using various Native American languages, and there are so many trails and wildlife. 

In New York and New Jersey, the landscape looks straight out of a movie about jolly-old England. There are brown and gray buildings everywhere, clusters of cities and roads, and a bajillion factories. 

Hawaii really is as relaxed as they say, and many shops close in the middle of the day because owners and customers go surfing. 

In Oregon, the precedent of being a “hippie” state is partially true: most ice cream shops are organic, and most stores are independently owned. Most people there are also laid-back or are passionate advocates for environmental movements. 

While I initially was put off by how different America is outside of California, I believe it is important to recognize the cultural differences within the nation. I’d never have been able to try handmade ice cream in Oregon, hiking in Washington, ocean swimming in Hawaii, or bacon-wrapped hot dogs in New York without having an open mindset about new experiences. 

Hopefully, as we grow more connected as a nation through social media or the Internet, we will grow more appreciative of our differences, and more appreciative of the diverse people who make up our country.

Mini-album to all my travels if you're interested.