 
Dear Responsible W.O.R.L.D. Traveler,
Happy (Belated) Earth Day!
Did you attend any of the exciting events celebrating our Mother Earth on or
around April 22? Here in Washington DC, my husband and I attended the big and
bold celebration on the National Mall on April 19. It was great! Pulsing music,
lots of food, terrific speakers, and 100,000 earth-conscious people! Very
inspiring.
How were the Earth Day events near you?
Drop us a line at info@peacethroughtravel.net and let us know!
Now, more than a week later, I have to tell you: I’m still celebrating. Why?
Because I have TWO big announcements for you:
Announcement #1: At last! Our websites are
here!
After four months of intense work by our creative, marketing and IT folks, we're
at last ready to announce our new websites! (That’s a picture of me tickled over
our new landing page, together with our main web developer, Ibrahima NDiaye of
Alter-Consult.com.)
I invite you to come by and visit us right here! http://peacethroughtravel.net
and http://womentravelforpeace.org
Psssst: For your viewing ease, see us in full screen and the latest version of
Firefox or Safari.
And as our thank you…
Be sure to pick up your FREE gift, our thank-you for
stopping by!
Just sign in to our new Membership Area, and you’ll be directed
to your FREE download: Audio tips: 9 Tidy Tips for Responsible
Travel Planning.
Just pop this quick 10-minute audio into your iPod or onto a CD, and when you’re
next out jogging or driving around, you’ll be mentally planning your next
responsible travel adventure!
Enjoy!
Announcement #2: Please Tell Us What You
Think!
Your experience at the new
Peace Through Travel and
Women Travel for Peace is v-e-r-y important to us!
Would you please take a moment to tell us what you think?
We’re aching to know:
-
How did your visit go?
- Was the website clear for you?
- Were you able to go where you wanted to go—easily?
- Do you have any comments?
Just send us a note at info@peacethroughtravel.net. Thanks so
much for your help!
.........................................................
...And now…back to YOU and how I can help YOU be a Responsible W.O.R.L.D.
Traveler!
You love to travel. You care about responsibility when you travel.
Now let me ask you this:
Have you ever thought about having a Global Mindset? About what that is? What
it means? Why you should have one? And how you can develop a global mindset?
This month we’re looking at these questions.
Happy reading!
Love and Peace,
Peace Through Travel
What Is a ‘Global Mindset’? And Why Should You Want One?
by Linda Rivero
Yesterday, as I poked at my salad of fresh greens and raspberries and chatted
with Patricia, a friend and professional colleague, she said, “You know, I keep
thinking about the importance of having a global mindset in today’s world.” She
looked at me intently. “It’s just so important now!” she announced. 
I agreed with her. The often bandied-about term, ‘global mindset,’ suddenly
struck me, and I thought about how important this concept is to people like you
and me: responsible travelers…social tourists…mindful adventurers.
Personally, I identify easily with the term, having grown up with multiple
languages and nationalities in my own household. But I know you may have had a
different experience. So my question is this:
What exactly is a Global Mindset? Let’s take a look at simple
definitions.
Mirriam-Webster defines ‘mindset’ as:
- a mental attitude or inclination
- a fixed state of mind
‘Global’ is defined as:
- of, relating to, or involving the entire world
- of, relating to, or applying to a whole.
So we can say that a ‘global
mindset’ is a mental attitude or inclination—or a fixed state of mind—oriented
to or involving the entire world.
Aha! So now my question to you is:
What does a global mindset mean in terms of travel? Is it important to develop a
global mindset in order to be a responsible W.O.R.L.D. traveler?
The short answer is: Yes. Because it’s impossible to be a responsible traveler
otherwise.
Maybe you can go through some of the motions (not littering, purchasing in
foreign currency, shopping at the local market), but you won’t feel the deeper
experience. You won’t be open to it; you won’t allow the experience to penetrate
your world view. You’ll go through the motions but won’t be affected. You won’t
be touched.
Simply put, if you’re truly a responsible traveler, or want to be, then you
need to have a global mindset. Because this attitude will influence your
choices, your behavior, and ultimately your travel happiness.
A global mindset will give you some distance from your usual everyday reality —
as wonderful as that may be— and help you see the world from a new perspective,
from the other person’s point of view. You’ll have some sense of their reality.
By making this shift and cultivating your own global mindset, you’ll find that
you instinctively travel mindfully. Your sensitivity will naturally
increase…and your experience will deepen.
You think more from the other person’s point of view: what they feel, what they
experience, what they need.
You’ll be more aware of the situations and decisions that make or break you as a
responsible W.O.R.L.D. traveler. You’ll be more sensitive to:
- New geographic and physical environments — naturally behaving in a more
‘eco-friendly’ way because you’re paying attention to the world around you and
the needs of that environment;
- New and different customs and behaviors — because you’re observing, respecting
and embracing the cultural styles around you;
- New and different economic structures — because in embracing your experience,
you instinctively feel motivated to support the local economy through your
purchases, transportation, and entertainment choices.
That’s all great, isn’t it?
But of course, there’s a catch: A global mindset is not necessarily easy to
acquire.
Your mindset is a result of your personality and a lifetime of experience. We
all grow up thinking about our world in a certain way. We also have our
individual personality that shapes our view of the world and our interaction
with it.
So for many of us, going from our more narrow world view to a global world view
means making a huge leap.
…Or we can think of this as a huge evolution. Rather than forcing an
unnatural change, we can choose to evolve to a new perspective.
In our next issue of Responsible W.O.R.L.D. Traveler, I’ll
explore this evolution and outline ways to for you to embrace this exciting
growth into a global mindset, gracefully and joyfully.
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Do you want
to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can, as long as it remains
complete and unaltered, including the contact information below, and you send me
a link or copy at
info@peacethroughtravel.net. Thanks!
Linda Rivero,
President of Peace Through Travel LLC and Women Travel for Peace, publishes
Responsible W.O.R.L.D. Traveler, a FREE monthly e-zine on culturally
authentic travel that protects our world and all who live in it. You'll find
tips on responsible travel, information on language-learning for travel,
peaceful travel adventures, and updates on Women Travel for Peace and
women-helping-women worldwide. Learn more at http://www.peacethroughtravel.net
and http://www.womentravelforpeace.org |
Need a Website Designer?
Call Alter-Consult.
Thinking about a new website? Wondering where to turn? I've got an
answer for you:
Call Alter-Consult.
Beginning a new website—or overhauling your exising site—can be a daunting
task. Lots of ideas, questions and decisions lie ahead of you.
We began our new websites at
Peace Through Travel and
Women Travel for Peace with an outline. But as with many website plans, ours
shifted, grew and morphed dramatically. To my delight, Alter-Consult
stood behind us, patiently and adeptly backing us up every step of the way.
They’ve been remarkable.
If you’re looking for help with creative web design and development that comes
hand-in-hand with professionalism, dedication and outstanding customer service,
I strongly encourage you to check them out and give them a call:
www.alter-consult.com, 202.882.5290. 
ABCABCA: Revealed
Last month we posed this fun
word puzzle, courtesy of Phil Price:
There are three words you'll
find in a good English language dictionary that have this spelling pattern:
abcabca. The first letter is also the fourth and
seventh, the second is also the fifth, and the third is also the sixth.
Do you know what they are? Here are the answers:
alfalfa:
a deep-rooted leguminous perennial plant
entente:
an international understanding providing for a common course of action
tzitzit:
the fringe or tassles at the bottom of a Jewish prayer shawl.
Fun, huh?
Peace and Love,
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