Traveling with Ourselves

A virtual discussion with Anu Taranath on traveling and its complexities

By Mitchell Levesque

Guilt trips are never fun— the emotional strife feeling arduous and suffocating. In the case of Anu Taranath’s book “Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World,” the expression “guilt trip” takes on a more literal meaning: literal guilt on a literal trip. What this all refers to, of course, is the feelings present when visiting places that may be less privileged than the ones you come from. Emotional baggage pertaining to this kind of guilt trip greatly outweighs any physical baggage you can think to bring. Not only is it heavier, but it's also cumbersome and obtuse; it slows and impedes connections to be made, whether that be with the people or cultures you interact with. How do we deal with all of this? Are we to accept it as the price of traveling? Or, do we finally take a closer look at these feelings and not be so frightened by what we may find? 

For Taranath, the answer to many of these quandaries is empathy. In a recent talk hosted by Impact Travel Alliance, a nonprofit organization aiming to provide advice on how to “travel in a way that empowers local communities and protects our earth,” Taranath cites empathy as an opportunity to “connect our stories together”; she says, it is the “glue” holding the world together, exposing us to our differences, and also to our similarities. This, then, is where things begin to transform and meaningful connections are made, getting at the heart of what it means to truly travel.

However, this part of the larger equation is hardly realized when our emotions are not given attention, much less processed. The first step is acknowledging the inherent guilt felt when traveling with the privilege that many of us have. Once there, Taranath encourages us to look further than this—beyond guilt trips—and see instead the complex framework that gives power to some and not to others. Beginning this way is far more effective in enacting any change, finding the place between good intentions and “I can’t do anything” to find small, reasonable changes. Small changes, according to Taranath, through no fault of our own, is often all that many of us can do. Yet, it is these small changes that begin to create large impacts. 

The importance of one’s own well-being must also be stated.  Change is often only effective if the person enacting it is personally in balance with their abilities, as well as their limitations. We must ask: how sustainable are our actions, not just in regards to their effect on the planet, but also in regards to their effect on us? “You and I,” Taranath says, “have not created the world that we’re in.” It’s in response to this unjust world that we not only fight to understand the powers that may be, but also the compunctions and insecurities that lie in our own personal struggle with these issues.  

Taranath herself is no stranger to these issues. What led her to write the book, she says, was a combination of her experiences growing up, as well as her professional work— whether that be the work she has done with companies who wish to discuss race equity, or the facilitating of study abroad programs for students in the United States. Framed around the experiences of Taranath and those she’s worked with, the book seeks to ask questions of travel and the privilege that often comes with it when visiting from the U.S. and many other countries. 

In exploring these ideas on travel, and the burdens that come with it, one can only contemplate in abstraction for so long; sooner or later, a direct example or tangible tools will be needed to deal with the guilt that so often accompanies travelers.  By itself, the virtual talk given may not be as extensive due to necessity of length; however, it certainly is an entry point to the discussion of how we can get there. Indeed, these are considerations that need constant tinkering and attention, a cause well accompanied by the discussion had. To totally rid these issues from your life and your travels would be impossible. Yet, just as we can learn to cope with the stresses of our daily life, so too can we learn to cope with and confront the stresses of traveling. It’s only after this that we can go beyond just experiencing these emotions and discover a truly new way to travel.