travel

Traveling to a new place brings opportunities to engage with a different culture. Do you wear a headscarf everywhere or just when you visit mosques? Do you pack your two-piece swimsuit or stick with a wet suit? Is it okay to eat while you walk, or will you need to carve out time to sit down to eat? The answers to all these questions vary depending on where you travel to. If you travel to Iran or Saudi Arabia, plan to wear a hijab wherever you go. In many other predominately Muslim countries, however, you aren’t required to wear a hijab in places other than mosques. In places like Barcelona, Spain, it is legal to wear bikinis on the beach but illegal to wear bikinis on the street. So if you go to the beach, make sure to bring a cover-up. In Japan, plan to sit down when you eat as it is considered impolite to walk around while eating. Wherever you travel, you should be informed about the cultural norms and local rules of conduct. Choosing to be a culturally sensitive traveler is important for three reasons. First, prioritizing respect will enable you to be welcomed in spaces that you wouldn’t be otherwise. Ayman Jebara, a professor in Jerusalem, Israel, teaches Arabic to Christian American students. As part of his Arabic course, he helps his students learn how to respect the cultures they interact with in Jerusalem. He explained tourists’ level of respect impacts how welcome they are in a religious space. “Everyone needs to respect cultural and religious differences,” he said. “If not, you will be not welcome in these places.” Second, your respect could help positively shape a person’s opinion of the United States. When I traveled to Egypt, I met shopkeepers who knew more about US current events than I did. They expressed their concerns about global policies that could affect them. However, the shopkeepers said meeting respectful American travelers helped them have a more nuanced perspective of Americans. Third, it’s simply the right thing to do. Wherever you travel, you are surrounded by people who are allowing you to be a visitor in their country. Showing respect can be a great way to express gratitude. If you are interested in traveling, you probably already want to show respect to the people, places, and cultures you visit. But how do you make sure you’re communicating your desire to be respectful? Here are seven tips on how you can become a culturally sensitive traveler. 7 Tips for Being a Culturally Sensitive Traveler 1. Research Before You GoWherever you travel, it is vital that you take time to research before entering a new cultural space. Research can come in many forms—talking with friends who have traveled or lived in the place you are going, finding credible online forums and sources, and watching documentaries on the places you will travel. Although you will be able to pick up some customs once you are there, it is important to begin your trip as prepared as you can be. Some reliable websites to begin your research are travel.state.gov, smartertravel.com, and worldpackers.com. 2. Be Willing to Observe While research can help with determining what actions are appropriate and what actions are inappropriate, being willing to observe people will be the most helpful tool. For example, if you never find anything definitive about how people are expected to behave on the metro of a place you are traveling, rely on your own common sense and observation to determine what is most appropriate. 3. Adhere to Local Customs and MannersEven mundane tasks that don’t seem to hold as much significance—such as eating, sleeping, or bathing—should be done respectfully. In Japan, it is considered inappropriate to wear shoes into an inn. When participating in Japanese baths, it is customary to wash before entering the bath. Knowing and adhering to these types of local customs and manners will help you to respect the cultures you interact with. 4. Ask for Permission to Take Photos of PeopleAnother important consideration to make is to ask people before photographing them. It may feel uncomfortable to start a conversation with a stranger and ask if you can photograph them if you are a more introverted person. You may want to snap a photo and walk away. However, it is important to remember that the subject of your photo is a real person who deserves the right to offer or withhold consent to be photographed. 5. Respect the Etiquette for Visiting Cultural or Religious SitesUnderstanding expectations for visiting cultural and religious sites often takes some planning and thinking ahead. Most mosques, churches, and synagogues differ in their requirements for appropriate dress, head coverings, and items you’re allowed to bring. It is important to show respect to sacred items, places, or clothing in religious sites. For example, at the Dome of the Rock, there are certain rules to follow when posing in photos; having your feet pointed toward the Dome is considered inappropriate. 6. Dress According to Local Customs Dressing according to local customs can help you immerse yourself into the culture and feel less obtrusive. It is important to note that sometimes donning local cultural apparel can be unintentionally offensive. The key is to separate the mundane from the sacred. If you are traveling to India, you may see women wearing saris and bindis and want to join them. Bindis have religious significance and are sacred to those who wear them, so as a tourist you should consider not wearing them. Always research what clothing and accessory items are meant only for those participating in a certain religion or culture and which items are appropriate for anyone. 7. Participate in Spaces Where You Are Invited As travelers, we may have an impulse to drink in the culture in every way we can—to dance, to pray, and to eat. This impulse can lead to unforgettable experiences, but it can also lead to uncomfortable moments for you and for those who live in the place you are visiting. Because of that, in most situations, it is best to figuratively wait on the sidelines until you are invited to participate in some aspect of the culture. For example, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, there is often lively dancing and singing on Friday evenings to mark the beginning of the Sabbath. Rather than running into a circle and linking arms with the nearest person you see, you may want to stand close to the circle without inviting yourself in. Once someone makes eye contact with you and invites you (which often happens), join the circle, learn the dance, learn the song, and enjoy the experience. If you’re not invited into a space, standing on the sidelines doesn’t mean you’re missing out on an experience. You’re in a place where you can observe and notice things you may not have if you were in the center of the experience. When I visited the Western Wall, I didn’t dance in the circle with the worshipers and some of my fellow American travelers. Instead, I stood to the side and witnessed something else that was beautiful in its own way. As I was sitting and observing people, I noticed two women hugging and crying as they looked toward the wall. They looked like they had been waiting for this exact moment for a long time. I never would have observed that moment if I had been participating in the dancing or praying. Sometimes the best view is from the sidelines. The Golden RuleTraveling to experience the culture is a worthwhile part of any tourist’s journey. While these tips share a few dos and don’ts that may seem boring or hard to achieve, being a culturally sensitive traveler is an invaluable pursuit. When in doubt, rely on Ayman Jebara’s golden rule of traveling: “You need to respect the place and respect the people if you want people to respect you back.” Take time to research the place you will travel to, be observant and respectful of customs, and avoid appropriating the cultures of the places you visit. This will not only help you show respect for the places you visit, but it will also enhance your experience traveling. —Angela Cava

Utah County, nestled on Utah’s Silicon Slopes, has seen rapid growth in recent years, and its offerings and opportunities are bringing ever greater numbers of people to the valley. Every driver on the road will tell you such growth has brought with it certain downsides. Increasing difficulties with traffic, parking, and air quality have raised concerns, but cities like Provo have been hard at work combating the problems and offer ever more appealing solutions. Utah County is making an increasingly convincing case for ditching your car in favor of environmentally friendly methods of transportation that also beat the traffic.

“In books I have traveled, not only to other worlds, but into my own.” —Anna Quindlen There is absolutely no way you can convince me that anything makes travel more fulfilling than reading. For every destination I travel to, I find a book that takes place in that corner of the world. These stories, true or fictional, draw me into the place, making my destinations come alive. Nothing beats the rush of discovering the history of a place or being delighted by a romance set in a foreign city. While you’re packing your bags, consider throwing some of these books into your carry-on. I have curated a list of books that you must read as you travel to these places. If you want to travel to these places but don’t quite have the funds yet, these are perfect for you! As Jhumpa Lahiri said, “That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” Stateside Travel If you’re traveling to New York City read Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart. Summer at Tiffany is the true story of two friends, Marjorie and Marty, who move to New York City in 1945. They become the first women to ever work on the sales floor at Tiffany & Co. This charming book is a homage to friendship, hard work, and the wonder of the city. If you’re visiting the Midwest, read The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. Sara, a timid book-lover from Sweden, makes her way to Iowa to meet a pen pal. The small town of Broken Wheel, Iowa is skeptical of Sara but eventually she wins them over. Asia Travel If you’re traveling to Southeast Asia, read Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwall. Vassar Spore is a sixteen-year-old girl with a ten-year plan. What she didn’t plan on was an eccentric relative forcing her to spend the summer backpacking through Southeast Asia. Join these two on their crazy adventure. If your destination is Russia, read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Count Alexander Rostov has been sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow during a time of political unrest. This historical fiction is both a romance and a thriller. Europe Travel If you’re vacationing in France, Italy, or England read A Rather Lovely Inheritance by C. A. Belmond. Penny Nichols’s humdrum life is turned upside-down when she is left an unexpected inheritance. This leads Penny on an adventure across Europe, discovering family secrets and protecting her inheritance. Africa Travel If your trip takes you to Morocco or Spain, read A Time in Between by Maria Duenas. Sira Quiroga is a young girl from Madrid who is swept into a life in Morocco. Set in the time of the Spanish Civil War and WWII, Sira’s story is a coming of age story full of espionage, romance, and family. South America Travel If you’re exploring Brazil or the Amazon, read Lost City of Z by David Grann. Lost City of Z is the true story of Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who disappeared in the Amazon while searching for a city of gold. Grann also tells of his own trips and discoveries deep in the Amazon.

I have many places on my travel bucket list. Unfortunately, travel, especially international travel, can take a lot of money. That’s why, two years ago, my husband and I were planning a moderately priced honeymoon to Oceanside, California. We were looking around for flight and hotel deals when I got an email from Pomelo, a flight-tracking company that alerts you to significant deals on plane ticket prices. I checked the email and noticed that there were flights to Barcelona, Spain, for $350 round trip. I was shocked—that’s the price of a ticket to California. Within an hour, my husband and I had booked our flights to the land of flamenco. At no cost to me, Pomelo had alerted me to a time-sensitive and money-saving price drop, and my husband and I were able to travel somewhere much more exciting than we had originally planned. The goal of Pomelo is to help people access the life-changing experiences that travel provides by find-ing deals on flights for you. Pomelo sends you an email with the discounted prices and shows you exactly how to find the deal online. The best thing about it? It’s free.

How Finland has ranked first on happiness and environmental surveys, and what other countries can learn from their culture and practices.

Here’s the deal: I’m a broke college student. I don’t have money to spend on expensive plane tickets, let alone on the luxury airport restaurants and lounges. But hey, a girl can dream—right? One day, just maybe, I’ll have the opportunity to travel again (post-COVID) and the budget to treat myself during a layover. Until then, I am content to dream of the places I wish I could go and share them with you! So, here are five airport cuisine gems* from around the world:

Tourism: Why Do We Do It?

Looking for a quick weekend getaway? Galveston Island, TX is what cute little beach town dreams are made of. Complete with brightly painted stilt houses, a historic downtown, uniquely themed restaurants, an old-timey pier overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, miles of beach access, and relaxing resorts, you’ll have a hard time choosing what to do first.

It all started with an earthquake. On March 20, 1980, the communities in Skamania County, Washington, US, experienced a 4.2 magnitude earthquake; this was the first definite sign that Mount St. Helens, a volcano that had been largely dormant, was about to erupt.

Few expect vending machine hunting to be one of the more exciting aspects of tourism—those few who do have probably been to Japan.A few years ago, one of my friends returned home from a visit to Japan. I asked him what he remembered best about the country, and he replied, “Vending machines.”This—for my anime-obsessed, devourer-of-Eastern-culture friend—was somehow the first thing out of his mouth.“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I replied. “Vending machines?”“Listen,” he said. “You don’t understand. They are everywhere in the city. To escape, I went to the country and visited a rice patty. Rice patty here, rice patty there, rice patties everywhere. And in the middle of it all? A vending machine. In the dirt. I have no idea how it got power or where it got restocks from. But I could buy cigarettes, alcohol, and underwear out in the boonies.”You never know what sort of bizarre and completely unexpected conveniences you might find while traveling. In case you find yourself randomly needing a puppy while traveling in Japan, but don’t have time to go to browse a pet store, here are six bizarre and unique vending machines to keep an eye out for.(I) First stop: Akihibara. If you like the quirky and unique, and you feel like making your hunt for vending machines easy, this should be your first stop.Not far from the Akihibara train station there is a hidden corner full of vending machines. Possibly most exciting are the two milk vending machines—both packed to the brim with completely unique milk products from across the country, some of which can only be bought from these vending machines. Help yourself to some ice-cream drink, different kinds of milk, or even milk coffee.But if you’re lactose intolerant (or otherwise not interested in cow juice), while your friends browse, you can amuse yourself by exploring the passive-aggressive signs that litter the area. One threatens to immortalize you forever on the internet if you use the corner as a bathroom—yikes!(II) That’s not all that Akihibara has to offer. Near the KFC is a vending machine known as the “treasure box.” If you think of yourself as a bit of a pirate—or really lucky—don’t miss this imposing, golden machine.This treasure box is a mystery machine—you put in your money, and you get out a random package. The contents can range anywhere from Nintendo’s newest video game system to a tiny coin purse. Are you feeling lucky?(III) After Akihibara, travel to Sendagaya to find a more personal vending machine—a proposal vending machine. You read that correctly. A proposal vending machine.Managed by the company “Jam Home Made,” this proposal vending machine sells rings, with real diamonds, for only nine thousand yen (plus tax)—about US $83, which is a steal.An added perk for those feeling homesick, the slick white walls of the room that hosts the vending machine makes you feel like you walked into an Apple store. If I feel the sudden urge to propose to someone while traveling Japan, I know where to go.(IV) Before I reveal to you our next location, imagine the situation: You’ve been sent by your company on a big business trip in Japan. You have your nicest suit on, and you aced your makeup. But while you’re standing at the train station it starts raining—pouring—and you realize the rain is going to ruin your outfit and makeup.If you ever find yourself in this sitution, hopefully you’re at the Suidobashi station, mildly famous for its umbrella vending machine. Maybe get two, just in case you lose one of them. Our last two vending machines can be found all over Japan if you have a keen eye.(V) We’ve all been there—after a few days of long travel, you’re having the time of your life, but you can’t quite shake how badly you miss your furry friends back home, and petting your travel companions is weird (not to mention trying to play fetch with them).In such a crisis, you need a puppy vending machine. Many pet shops in Japan can provide you with one, and don’t worry about the puppies—it’s perfectly humane. They each get a brightly-lit container with clear walls and some toys, and for your convenience, the price of each puppy is printed on their individual container. Who can say no to a puppy?(VI) Most vending machines sell drinks—which isn’t particularly impressive—but how many vending machines sell Coke slushies?You might need to search around for a bit, but Coca Cola has a few vending machines that sell sodas that freeze when you turn them upside down. Perfect for a hot day or a tired traveler—but my one question, why haven’t these been brought to the States yet?That’s just a small taste of the vending machines that you’ll encounter in Japan—and I didn’t even mention the canned bread vending machines or the fresh fruit vending machines, among countless others. For almost literally any need that you can imagine, Japan has a vending machine.And odds are that it’s just around the corner.—David 'Boo' Ludlow