There are many differences between Australia and the USA that I could comment on. To me, the cars here are obnoxiously large, the food is too sweet and the school pride overwhelming. However, the difference that is most notable is the lack of cultural awareness. The missing desire to understand another country's practices or leave the comforts of one's home. Of course this does not apply to everyone, however, a large majority fall into this category, students and lecturers alike.
Recently, I was asked, "How do you even think to travel to these places." This question puzzled me, I had been asked before "how do you afford to travel" or "why do you like to travel" however no one has ever asked me my reasoning behind traveling as a lifestyle. To me, this was the pinnacle of ignorance. Despite this, I was determined to find an answer that was more then “It's the Australian way" in order to expand the horizons of the people who read this. So upon reflection, I believe this question can best be answered by explaining my upbringing in Australia.
Australia does not share in the idea of patriotism, we were not raised with a pledge of allegiance or told we lived in the greatest nation in the world. Don't get me wrong we have national pride however because of this relaxed upbringing on what it means to be an Australian we shared in a sense of wanderlust. Being Australian, unless you are an Indigenous Australian, means that at some point in your family line immigration occurred whether it was 20 or 200 years ago. We are a blended nation and it shines through in every element, including our nation's identity, a nation of inquisitive nomads.
Due to the commonality of immigration our classrooms, regardless of how rural they were, brought in elements from around the world. We were not required to opt-in to cultural classes rather details from other countries were intertwined into our everyday curriculum regardless if you were studying English Literature or Finance. It was viewed as important to teach students to be global citizens. High schools commonly offered language study trips to Europe and volunteering trips to Asia. Even if you did not participate you were constantly surrounded by information about the world. Ultimately enriching your understanding and little by little building up a wealth of worldly knowledge.
We were faced with globalization and cultural differences every day, which became apart of the norm. We did not have to be taught what a Saree was as we saw them down the streets, we celebrated Chinese traditions in the community the same way we celebrated Christmas, our local Italian restaurants would serve you in an English-Italian language combination and our extra school circulars ranged from Japanese taiko drumming to Commonwealth sports. All of these experiences normalized foreign cultural traditions and sparked a desire to build upon this knowledge.
Although diverse, Australia is an island and therefore relatively isolated. After such an upbringing travel was the most natural next step. The sense of curiosity took over, we had been teased for so long by snippets of the world that made up the Australian landscape that I and many others decided to endure those long flights to seek answers to a long list of questions we had been accumulating over time. Australians across all age ranges prioritize travel, it is incredibly common to quit your job and move to London or put your education on hold to backpack around Asia. Combined with high wages, long holiday periods and social norms Australians are in the prime position to see the world.
To me, it's not about being an expert in every culture. It's about having the ability to recognize that people act and think differently due to their cultural upbringings and that identifying those elements will bring the world closer to an understanding. It is about not being afraid to ask those questions and learn from people whom you may share no similarities with. I feel incredibly lucky that my upbringing instilled in me a sense global curiosity, however, it is never too late to expand your horizons.
