...and at once I knew I was not magnificent

"Adventure is a path.  Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world.  The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it.  Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness.  In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both.  This will change you.  Nothing will ever again be black-and-white." -Mark Jenkins

Bon Iver - Holocene (for your listening pleasure)

Both of the above capture some of my feelings about adventure and the earth.  One line in particular from Holocene states "...and at once I knew I was not magnificent."  Anyone who has stood atop the Mayan ruins in Guatemala, swam with the fishes in the Indian Ocean, or drank a pint of Guinness at a small Irish pub can appreciate how experiencing the world can put things in perspective.

As you can tell and like many others who have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do so, I absolutely love to travel.  At the risk of including too many quotes in one small post, Susan Sontag once said "I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list."  And that is exactly how I feel.  With unlimited time and money, there isn't a place on earth I wouldn't want to go.  But in addition to those two limitations, traveling the world can also have a huge impact from a sustainability perspective.  Between GHG emissions from airplanes and other modes of transportation, impacts on wildlife, impacts on the aesthetics and culture of tourist destinations, and the generation of additional pollution and waste outputs, a seemingly simple trip across the ocean can leave in its wake a lot more than was bargained for.

On the other hand, the economic impacts of travel and tourism on some countries are often important or even essential to their livelihoods.  And as an MBA student entering an increasingly global business world, even if I could minimize my personal impact by reducing or eliminating my own travel plans (what a sad thought), Corporate America will likely make that option unfeasible.  So what options are there for more sustainable travel?

The Indian School of Business - Hyderabad

For my personal project this semester, I am going to explore the options for sustainable travel in preparation for my study abroad trip to India in January of 2013.  Aside from the 5 weeks I will spend taking classes, I will also have several weeks to myself before I head back to Indiana to wrap up the school year, and I plan to spend this time seeing as much of the country (and possibly some others nearby) as possible.  Planning this trip all on my own is a daunting task to begin with, but I think that finding ways to reduce my impact while supporting the local communities will actually help give me some direction and serve as a great learning experience.  And in the end, I hope I'll be able to see the world without jeopardizing any of its magnificence.