Cutting Corners

The Beauty of Travel

[d1noli @ Friday, April 08, 2005]

Okay, I will admit it. I miss being a trainer for my company. As much as I've bitched and complained about that job, I did like it.

Well actually, that's not completely true. What I really do miss is the travelling from state to state part. Ironic, isn't it, given the fact that I am deathly afraid of going by plane? Still, being a trainer allowed me to visit states I had never been to before, ones I would have not cared to see otherwise. My travels opened my eyes to the inherent beauty of the places I visited. I learned to appreciate the diversity and culture of that which surrounded me. (Plus, it did keep me actively moving around rather than being stuck behind a computer all day!)

Nowadays, being a training manager instead of a trainer itself does not require me to do much travelling. So, when the opportunity to observe one of the events I had helped develop came up, I immediately jumped at it. Sure, this would require me to work on the weekend but, heck, it still wasn't something I was going to pass up. I would, once again, get the chance to visit the world that I live in. And that would make it all worth it.

My assigned destination: Pittsburgh.

I had actually travelled to Pittsburgh before for work. One of my co-trainers back then had a life event happen that prevented her from meeting obligations (aka. she quit due to an unexpected pregnancy). So in lieu of her situation, I volunteered to cover her area. Having never been to this place before, I thought it would be good a time as any to see what this state had to offer.

For the life of me, there was nothing much I could remember from this previous visit except for the fact that it rained a lot. Unfortunately, the weather was not that much different when I arrived this go round. And actually, it was rain AND snow this time which made the plan ride into this state sooo much more fun. Someone had to pry my saggy butt loose from the seat after we had landed!

After checking into my hotel, I spent the rest of my day conducting store visits with my vendor rep-slash-trainer. Despite the rain and snow, this turned out to be quite a joyful experience overall. By going around town, I was able to see a lot of Pittsburgh for the very first time. (It's just too bad that it was so dreary outside to take any pictures.)

And you know what? I never realized that Pittsburgh was such a mountainous state! It was simply breathtaking to see all the infrastructure literally built into these huge masses of land. Even though I had driven through them on my last trip here, I was so awestruck at the tunnels going through these mountains. It literally felt like I was seeing all this for the first time. Also, the buildings seemed to be such a part of the natural surroundings --- a perfect blend of Mother Earth and human craftsmanship. It was almost like they were these large mushrooms sprouting from the ground itself. It was just amazing!

Experiences like these are exactly what make me miss my former life as a trainer. I think all my travelling back then allowed me to expand my horizons and become more accepting of the differences around me. By interacting with these various surroundings and people, I learned to see how things are basically the same yet different at the same time. A person is a person no matter what. A building is a building no matter where. It is this very symbiosis between the foreign and the familiar that makes life interesting and ultimately brings forth appreciation. And in this appreciation, tolerance and respect is built.

I've always believed that many of the small-minded bigots out there would benefit from travelling more often. If they were able to realize the simple truth of how places and people are essentially the same yet different, I think a lot of the hatred out there would disappear. There's so much more in the world to appreciate rather than be disgusted with. All it takes it an open heart and a trip to the unknown. That's the beauty of travel.