(Newswire.net — December 20, 2022) — “If fulfilling our personal and professional potential is the reward for conquering resistance, then learning to step outside our comfort zones becomes a skill well worth acquiring,” writes Marianna Pogosyan, Ph.D., in Psychology Today.
This is something cultural connoisseur Franci Neely knows right down to her very soul.
“Get out of your comfort zone,” Neely urges. “Don’t just go to countries, [like] France. I love France or Italy, but go to places that you don’t know about —[such as] Africa, Asia, the Middle East.”
Franci Neely says she understands better than most that life truly begins when one’s cozy daily routine ends. Neely says she’s found spiritual sustenance in visiting lands that aren’t even on the radar for many Americans. She was especially enamored with the people of Iran, who she says was not only kind to her, but repeatedly told her how much they loved Americans.
“The average citizen in Iran probably knows more about their history and their literature, their culture than the average American,” Neely says. “[They also have] one of the oldest cultures in the world. The Persian culture is rich.”
Nothing Grows in a Comfort Zone
Neely says she believes the world would be a better place if more people had the opportunity to experience foreign lands. It’s something she never takes for granted since it’s opened her heart and mind to so many experiences she wouldn’t have had without the gift of wanderlust.
Neely’s journeys have spanned the globe, leading her to faraway locales like the base of a volcano in Cape Verde and the sparkling seas around Fiji.
Neely says she’s witnessed resilience in the face of incredible adversity and poverty in different places around the world — and Americans could learn from it. “They carry on, often with amazing senses of humor,” Neely marvels. “They cherish their traditions.”
Neely shares that she often thinks about the many people she’s met during her sojourns. One who stands out is a man she encountered in Cameroon. “Even if some of these people live in the cities, I was told they travel to the Grassfield kingdoms and their villages almost every weekend,” Neely adds the man had an unforgettable smile that belied his troubles.
“This man, who doesn’t have a lot of material possessions, has his traditions, his family, and extended family, his cultural family, and what an embrace. Americans don’t have that, in large part. Our tribes are now political and that’s pretty scary. These people, though, are getting nourishment and positivity from the traditions they practice with their extended family. They’re connected to their history, and that makes them a feeling of importance. And it should. They’re not alone, and that is enriching to them. And we don’t have that in the United States. I mean, we just don’t. Not in the same way [as] in Africa [and] around the world.”
Franci Neely has witnessed this camaraderie all over the world including Africa, Asia, South America, and Central America. She particularly admires the people of Guatemala and the way they are connected to their history and their culture. “I happen to have a particular love for Guatemala and the highlands, it’s amazing,” Neely says. “So with all of the hardship that they have — there’s poverty, just hard work to survive — they are renewed and invigorated and revitalized by their culture and their traditions and their togetherness in a positive way instead of a negative way, contrasting that with the political tribalism in the United States.”
Where in the World Are Americans Most Likely To Go?
Statistically, Americans travel most to Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, and Portugal according to thediscoverer.com. CNBC reports that after being cooped up by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans are experiencing a renewed interest in traveling abroad. Internet searches for the Maldives are up 72% and Indonesia has jumped by 61%, according to the travel website ParkSleepFly. Fortune reports that demand for international jaunts is heating up. During Q1 2022, American Express global card member travel and entertainment spending grew 121% from 2021, reports fortune.com.
“With all this activity, we’re seeing that U.S. card members are planning for international trips,” shares Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel. “After a period of social distancing and dependence on domestic road trips, our latest booking data suggests a hankering to visit Europe’s great destination cities, along with the world-class cities in the U.S.”
But again, the destinations typically include Europe and even party cities in the United States such as New York, Miami, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Orlando, Florida.
Franci Neely Advises: The More Travel, the Better
Franci Neely says she feels the average American should travel more often, and they should also consider taking the road less traveled.
Always one step ahead of the trends, the forward-thinking globe-trotter is clearly onto something. A booking.com poll found that “almost half (47%) of U.S. travelers want to experience complete culture shock in 2023,” and “nearly three quarters (74%) [are] looking forward to experiencing ‘out of comfort zone’ travel that pushes them to the limits.”
And while Neely says she has a deep love and appreciation for the United States, she admits that it saddens her that the country isn’t the shining beacon of light it once was, thanks to the ongoing political turmoil throughout the nation and its economic woes. It’s all the more reason she encourages Americans to educate themselves on other nations and to, in turn, appreciate what the United States has to offer.
“Travel’s the best education you can have,” Neely says. “Learning about the world and about differences — there’s nothing that’s a better education.”
She also recommends learning even rudimentary words and phrases in different languages. “The language of a particular culture tells you so much about the way that that culture thinks. Go into it with an open mind,” Franci Neely advises. “So go travel the world. You always think that you have infinite time ahead of you. No, you don’t. It really goes by very quickly.”