The moral duty of a traveller

I read some interesting thoughts about travelling and education on the Out of Eden Walk's blog. I already talked about this project a few weeks ago on this post.

Here is my take about travelling, education and how the two things are related.

Besides posting nice pictures, giving tips on places to see and writing how cool travelling is, I deeply believe that travellers have a very important task and a moral duty.

Even though it's easier than what most people think, travelling is not for everyone, because of possibilities, attitudes, personal problems and other impediments. For this reason, travellers are lucky to be able to live some experiences (unforgettable meetings, discovery of new cultures, breathtaking views, etc.) that are precluded to those who cannot travel. Travelling means learning, extending one's knowledge, making connections, widening perspectives and, at the end, developing a global consciousness.

We are lucky enough to have technologies that allow people to spread information as never before. While sharing travelling stories through a screen doesn't give the same emotions as going on a real journey, it can surely inspire other people. The least a traveller can do is saying "look, the real world is different than what you might imagine, there's a lot to discover out there, the people we call foreigners are not as bad as they make us think, go check it out yourself if you can". In this way, the traveller's individual growth is extended to the society around him.

In my opinion, travelling and education are strongly connected.

Go, learn, understand, share: that's the moral duty of a traveller.

A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving. (Albert Einstein)

Counter migration: from a big city to a little village

On my first night in Greece I was hosted by Stelios, who lives in Odigitria, a little village with 30 inhabitants.

Stelios's story is an interesting one: he was born and raised in Athens (population: 4 million people). After working for 3 different companies, 5 years ago he lost his job with Vodafone. He was 35 years old and he had a higher salary than the young people they were probably going to employ on his place (ethical company, isn't it?). Tired of the city life, which he never really appreciated, he decided to dramatically change his life and move back to the village from which his grandparents emigrated many years before. A little at a time he renovated his family's old house, which had been abandoned for 20 years, he got a dog and he started growing vegetables in the garden.

Then the economic crisis hit Greece, changing the life of many people. Now Stelios has a couple of temporary jobs, but he doesn't have a regular one. However, besides the current difficulties, Stelios would never move back to Athens: in Odigitria he found priceless things that he would never exchange with his past chaotic life: following the natural rhythm of the day, listening to the sound of the breeze that blows through the leaves, having an afternoon walk with his dog on the nearby hills right before sunset... He is not even "excluded" from the rest of the world, using Internet for communicating, reading news, hosting people with Couchsurfing and buying most of the things he needs.

Yes, he would like to have some money to travel as he used to do some years ago with his motorcycle. Yes, he wishes the government didn't put such high taxes on his old house. But, on the other hand, Stelios entirely owns his life and his time. How many people can say the same?

The story of Stelios is an interesting starting point to share some thoughts and open a discussion about city life vs rural life: everywhere in the world the migration pattern goes from villages to cities. People leave their native places to go to the cities to study or work. They end up never going back to their hometown, mainly because of opportunities: the city is a magnet which inevitably attracts the "metallic" materialistic part of us (basic needs like money and food, but also "luxuries"). Our dreaming part loses power, but never disappeares, because most city people still dream about exotic deserted beaches, mountain villages and huts, rural heavens, where they usually spend relaxing holidays. Yet, if rural or even "intermediate" areas could offer the same working and social opportunities of the cities, they would not hesitate to move there.

Now, the point is: 2013, Internet, e-commerce. Could it be an opportunity for a new and different development of rural areas? Little villages have been associated with poverty, agriculture, bad education, while cities have been praised for their industry, opportunites, education. Does this make sense in the Information Age? Can the mountain villages in the Alps and the fishing villages of Portugal pursue a new model of development?

Last but not least: the human factor. More people often equals more conformity and less self-discovery. Take Milan, London, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sofia. The cities are different, but people do the same things everywhere. It's unbelievable, if you think at it.

Take Pierre (South Dakota, USA), Cornuda (Veneto, Italy), Mala Subotica (Međimurje, Croatia), Odigitria (Central Macedonia, Greece). These places are unique. There lies the heart and the culture of a country.

Why bicycling?

This question could introduce the longest post ever written by me, since the "because..." list would include reasons like economy, ecology, health and much more. Fortunately for the readers, this is not the case.

Right now I'm writing my Civil Engineering undergraduate thesis about Safety in the design of cycling infrastructures. Besides all the technical stuff concerning cycle lanes, cycle tracks, intersections, etc., the fact that made me think the most is the well-demonstrated virtuous circle "more cyclists = more safety = more cyclists=...". Basically, safety with numbers. Logical. But while writing my thesis I kept thinking: economy, ecology, health... safety, where appliable. Most people know that by riding a bike you save money, respect the environment, stay fit... Isn't that enough to make them choose bicycles whenever possible for their everyday home-to-school, home-to-work travel?

Then I stumbled upon this article and this video. Afterwards things were clear.

Question: has anybody ever told you that bicycling equals happiness?

(possible start of my journey: October 5. You can follow it also on Facebook and Twitter! And maybe somewhere else, soon...)