Cultural Diversity
Last month I went on the most amazing vacation ever as a graduation present from my grandparents. We went on a seven-day cruise, and the ship ported in Cozumel Mexico, Belize, and Honduras for my early graduation present.
This being my first time outside of the United States I did not know what to expect. Not only were my surroundings beautiful, they looked like something straight out of a movie.
All of the residents on every island were so different from us, in such a positive way. Every single one of them were such hard workers and appreciated the littlest things. I honestly felt extremely bad asking them for anything, even though this was their job. It made me think of back at home, where it seems almost everywhere I go workers are rude. In grocery stores, clothing stores, food places, it doesn't matter where. I feel here in the U.S we feel so privileged and entitled that we do not appreciate the things we should because we are so used to getting handed them.
We’re simply spoiled.
These residents on the islands not only worked hard, but lived in such awful conditions. In Mexico, we had to take little beat down buses to our destinations, which ours was a beach. On our way there we would see homeless people everywhere with signs and no houses that looked even close to like we have back at home. Even the richest around there we were explained by our tour guide, did not have the luxury of a nicely constructed house. In Belize, there were no washers and dryers: they hand-washed everything and hung them out to dry, doing all of this hard and extra work out in the extreme heat. This lifestyle in the states would considered “poor”, but here was a usual everyday lifestyle.
The heat there was unbearable, in Mexico it was 101, Belize 95, and Honduras 108. We always complain how hot and miserable it is during summer even when working inside, but can you imagine working outside doing hard labor in those conditions?
This trip made me appreciate other cultures and races so much more, not that I did not before, but this experience definitely put it into a bigger and better perspective for me.
