What will I bring home
Every time I visit a country, I naturally start comparing to home. Wherever home may be.
I compare people, government, religion, geography and even the weather.
It’s a compilation of all that makes a difference, never just one.
Obviously, being an Arab (not a Muslim) I always find myself and my “proud to be” arab people behind…
What happens now?
Do I just bitterly condescend my own?
Or do I think what can I bring home other than a hard rock cafe T-shirt?
Better yet, What positive change can I bring back?
25 years of travel and I don’t have the answer…
shame on me.
Honga's Blog 
I’ve found myself facing the same predicament. But while reading what you’ve written, the realization that seems to have unveiled itself to me is that one brings home something more powerful than T-shirts and airport soduko books. The responsibility that accumulates with every comparison, the urgency in the desire to create a richer life experience back home, are very strong drives. I think it’s more complex than “why can’t we do things like they do?” and I’ve come to peace with the idea that we simply have a different pace. And then you get the people that say that nothing good really comes from the west (or any country other than our own) and their evidence is how “fragile” our youth is. I believe it’s all about education. By that I mean educating myself, the one who feels this responsibility, on the details of the success of the subjects of comparison. Sometimes, it’s really not what we need. Or not the right time, since it’s not the immediate step. Ok so what’s the previous step, can we implement that? Or maybe, it is what we need, just not in that way. Kinda like shopping, there are things we want, and things we need, and then there are things that we need but with our own alterations.
Just like you and many others, I’m still rummaging for answers in the Mary Poppins bag of convenient miracles. But I’m glad that we’re getting exposed to these comparisons and we’re giving these questions the light of day, because that’s the only way awareness knows how to start.