Personal Project Reflection: My (More) Sustainable Trip to India

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”  -Maya Angelou

 “The traveler sees what he sees; the tourist sees what he has come to see.”  -G.K. Chesterton

Taj Mahal

Nearly two months later, I can look back and compare the quotes I just wrote above with the Mark Jenkins quote from my first Personal Project post, and although I can say a lot about the things that I’ve learned, I think this comparison does a pretty accurate job of summing it up.  My first post was all about the wonders of travel and my own personal feelings about the world.  This one, in contrast, is about the people and cultures that make up my destinations and about learning, observing, and experiencing the world as it is, leaving it behind just the way I found it.  I don’t know how that transformation sounds to you, but to me it is remarkable.

Holi Festival

Coming into this, I assumed I would learn a thing or two about sustainable travel, particularly in India.  What I didn’t expect was that gaining that understanding would transform the way I thought about my trip altogether.  I felt I had a good appreciation for the wonders of the world, but I was still seeing them through my own eyes.  Now, as I read through my past thoughts, I’m finding them to be fairly introspective and realizing that, to truly see the world and experience it as it is, I should be looking outward instead.  It seems a little dense now that I’ve written it down, but this small yet fundamental change in perception is definitely my biggest takeaway from this experience.

So what about all the more tangible things I’ve written about this semester? 

My search for a more sustainable flight highlighted both the lack of clean transportation options out there and the added cost we’re so often faced with when we choose the “greener” solution.  This post did pique my interest in the airline industry’s sustainability trajectory, and I hope to continue following future developments, most all of which will be dictated by governmental policy.  And who knows, maybe one day I’ll have a part to play in those changes.

Fortunately, my fear of having to rely on plastic water bottles for two months was assuaged by my findings of more sustainable options for clean water in India.  This is something I have struggled with on trips in the past, but the solutions are fairly simple.  It’s amazing what a little pre-planning and research can accomplish!  The same goes for ecotourism and my general lack of willingness to plot out my trips day-by-day.  Although I still stand by my generally spontaneous ways, taking a look at what’s out there will at least be useful in making sure that I don’t miss out on anything.  I also hope to find a useful way of sharing the principles of ecotourism with family, friends, and fellow travelers.

All in all, this project has opened my eyes to some new ways of seeing the world.  While sustainable travel still has a very long way to go, I’m motivated to learn and do more.  Next on my list:  The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel.  And hopefully, I will have plenty of chances to put my new-found knowledge and inspiration to use, starting with India in just 32 days!