I travel. It’s my passion. Some people follow sports teams and spend
money on tickets and teamwear. Some
people craft and spend money on glue and glitter and fibers. Some people bake, some people work out, some
people do home improvements. I
travel.
So, when I heard about the president’s executive order
banning travel from seven countries to the US, my stomach churned. People who don’t travel probably don’t
understand how much those of us rely on free and open borders when we are
outside the country. People who chant “America
first” don’t realize how threatening that is to Americans abroad. I rely on good international relations
between my country and the rest of the world in order to pursue my passions.
More than that, though, I believe in open borders and free
movement because that’s what makes you a better human. I believe that we only grow when we are
exposed to new ideas and the best way to do that is to travel. I stand in strong opposition to walls, bans,
or any other attempts to keep people apart.
The past two weeks have been tough because they have shaken
the very foundation of my world view- that we are all citizens of Planet Earth
and therefore all equally worthy of happiness and love. I hope that recent court decisions will show
the rest of the world that the majority of Americans are not xenophobic
nationalists and I will once again be able to travel comfortably.
I hope.
