Present Path Tarot
Navigate to your best life
Wider World Views Bring Peace
My Mom is German and my Dad is retired from the Navy. Both of them encouraged me to explore and be curious about the world.
We took trips around the US and to Berlin to see my mom’s family.
They consumed books and documentaries about other cultures and histories.
Best of all, they welcomed immigrant community into our home and hearts.
This inspired me to live and travel abroad for much of my 20’s. Upon return, I taught ESL for a decade in the US and ran a Service Learning program to teach US Business Culture to East Asian college students.
These experiences have given me a perspective of how the US is itself a strange land.
On one hand, we have one of the most internationally represented world populations.
Astoria Queens is the most ethnically diverse district (while Toronto, Canada is now the most diverse city.) Outside of Iran, Los Angeles has the largest population of Iranians. In Miami, 54% of the residents were born in other countries. I presume there are similar stats for other US cities as well.
On the other hand, we are geographically and intellectually isolated from much of the world, with oceans separating us from all but two countries.
Per Capita, we don’t travel internationally as much as other western cultures. Understandable, since we don’t typically have enough vacation time afforded to us to really experience other cultures beyond a few weeks vacation.
When COVID struck, I was hopeful that it would bring our global community closer together as a shared experience. The news media failed us though, and the US remained in our own echo chamber.
The reason this is meaningful to me is that I gain so much insight when I speak with people from other cultures. It opens my perspective to hear their experiences and can both calm and enliven my spirit simultaneously.
I am very protective about the immigrant community in the US, as it adds immense value to our own wider national culture. Diversity enhances our ability to adapt to global shifts. It is scientifically proven to create more innovation. It is scientifically proven to lead to healthier offspring when we combine diverse genetics. We are better and stronger together.
Currently, I am visiting my friend Anna this month as she moves her family to Panama (view from her home pictured above).
Stepping out of the country offers me a shift in energy that reminds me of how vast the world is, and opens my sense of possibility in a subtle yet powerful way.
With the incredible technology of the world wide web, you don’t need to travel abroad to engage with international mindsets.
I am grateful to write this in a language that has become a current global standard. Places like Reddit offer forums for nearly every nation on Earth. We can explore perspectives and issues and share our own.
To develop a more personal connection, there are sites like PenPal World, Conversation Exchange, and TalkAbroad, to get to know someone from another place or practice a new language.
The Kanopy channel app is free with your library card and has a wonderful selection of global cinema for a lens on other worlds.
Local immigrant organizations always need extra support.
Bring your unique skills or simply be a conversation partner for someone improving their English. In Portland Oregon, we have Catholic Charities and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) doing great work.
Volunteering is probably the most powerful act you can do, and the best part is how it adds to your own life with unique new connections.
I hope this inspires you to deepen your own experience with the diversity of your community and beyond. If you already do these things, please share your own insights with others who might be shy to step outside their comfort zone. Perhaps share this blog with someone you think it might help.
If you desire another kind of fresh perspective from an Italian art, sign up for a personal tarot reading with me. Available times are sporadic until February 20th, so text or email me to make arrangements.
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I hope you have a lovely weekend enjoying your worldly curiosities. Get these blogs right into your email inbox on Fridays at Noon by signing up!
Relish Global Connections,
Jenna Lynne Roberts