The (perceived) Dangers of Travel

Having recently turned fifty-nine, I am part of the few left on this planet who are alive and have experienced a time when we were “untraceable”.? As a normal part of existence, I could step out of my home, say “so long” to my loved ones and be in the world without a way for someone to know my location – I was not reachable, whether shopping, taking a walk, or driving in a car.? Remember that reality?? If so, you, too, are among the last of us remaining who do!?

Making contact was only possible at a location with a phone, the type that either had to be plugged into the wall or needed some spare change, like the payphone located at the street corner. From my great-grandmother’s perspective, the house phone and payphone were oddities – yes – not too long ago, in fact: 1849’s first version of a phone designed by innovator Antonio Meucci, and then later invented and patented in 1876 by A.G. Bell.

Even without our current technology, we figured out how to make plans, arrive places on time, were not in constant contact, yet somehow, survived and even thrived!? Communication through our devices is now integral to the way we live our lives.?

Being without a cell phone today is almost inconceivable; often our cell phones are parked overnight in our bedrooms or have carved imprints in the pockets of our jeans. Many utilize watches to receive calls and be that much closer to cyberspace. Most homes have abandoned the landline.?

Children often have their own personal cell phones as young as age 10 or 11. Modern generations will never know the feeling of being in the world without being instantly reachable to receive a call or text.? Perhaps always being a text away begs the question – can we ever really know true freedom???

How does this impact the way we travel? I believe this new way has great impact on the size of one’s “Comfort Zone”.?

There are telling commonalities I came to discover when promoting the group trips that I organize.? I am a Pickleball player and travel advisor and organize Pickleball-focused vacations.??

When I described that one of my trips would take place in the Dominican Republic, I sometimes received an oh-I-would-never-go-there-too-dangerous type of reaction. ? I also have heard similar statements when Mexico travel is discussed. There are places that have become accepted as “I don’t go there” destinations.?

This belief about parts of the world being too dangerous is not questioned, despite the reality that everywhere one goes there are mothers and fathers, with children who are dear to them; families with uncles, nephews, cousins, just like ours.? There are people who want the same things as one another: a safe and happy life, to be well-cared for, educated, have food on the table.?

As a child, I was fortunate to have traveled with my parents – and our vacations, to my mom and dad, meant seeing the people and places beyond the hotel or resort.? It always included renting a car and driving, on our own to explore - visiting towns, shopping in stores, eating in local restaurants. One comical story that stays in our family lore is when my mom walked through the open door of a home in a small Mexican village, thinking it was a store, only to find out that the beautiful pottery and colorful embroidered wall hangings that had drawn her in were not for sale, but rather part of someone’s décor! A friendly exchange ensued, filled with laughter and polite apologies for her entry.?

Might we re-imagine travel and find ways to dispel some deep-seated beliefs that a resort is the only safety net???

January 2023 I organized a Carpe Dink’em Pickleball Vacation to Club Med Punta Cana in The Dominican Republic with about 40 people in each of the two groups. My travel brand Travel With Heart incorporates a “giving exchange” as part of the experience so that travelers and those in destination form a real connection, offering the ability to break down barriers, build friendship, and deepen understanding.?

Some group participants chose to join an excursion that I had arranged to visit and work with students at a local school, the Calasanz Bavaro School.? Students at the school range in age from 2 through 18 in two different buildings, a lower elementary and upper middle and high school.?

On the drive to the school, we passed through small towns; we saw factory buildings along the highway and roads, grocery stores, clothing and hardware shops, apartment buildings, and tightly packed together small dwellings made of cinder blocks or of wood with tin rooves.? The towns were falling apart in places and certainly had the “lived-in” feel.? Stores where we could have stopped to shop, restaurants where we could have stopped to eat, we instead drove past.? There were no tourists in sight.??

Benefits of the visit – we met and interacted with students, faculty, and staff, real-live people who live and work in the Dominican Republic, who were immersed in their lives, who had stories to tell, who were grateful for the opportunity to share time together.? Our group engaged with students during a physical education class where we led sports-related games and team-building activities.? We were not in danger. In fact, our group was welcomed with open arms; the joy of our visit was palpable.??

It was an amazing time, a real highlight of the entire trip for those who took advantage of this opportunity. We got to see the countryside beyond the resort and had a great time enjoying and sharing time with the students. We donated sports balls, as requested by the school.? This was, we were told, the very first and only time anyone from the U.S.A. ever visited the school.?

Imagine, were tourists to explore the towns, shop in the stores, et cetera in any small-town Dominican Republic. People who live there, for example, would not only experience greater prosperity (those dilapidated buildings, through direct economic input to the local area, could receive a boost), but also these make-believe barriers could be replaced with genuine people-to-people interactions.????

Travel is powerful - capable of opening hearts and minds.? Experiences that include stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is often where the magic of life happens.??

We truly are all in this together, sharing a planet now where we can get to and from almost anywhere.? With such ability, let us shift the paradigm and move with the idea to recognize the existence of human kindness as the expectation. These experiences help to reaffirm that people have more in common based on our core values than not.??

We might not leave a phone at home, but we can reach out to one another in other ways, too.? Look, listen, notice.? Travel allows for tapping into parts of us that can only be discovered through novelty. Be curious and have a sense of wonder.

For the generations to come – may we continue to value and make known how friendly a world this really is!?

Melinda Alcosser

All-Travel With Heart

[email protected]

310.903.5107