While growing up my family had to move more than my siblings and I would have liked to keep in stead with my parent's international careers. When I was about eleven, I remember asking my parents if we would ever really put down roots. My father explained to me that I should not think of myself as tied down to one place, he would laugh and say "The world is your oyster! Our home is where we hang our hat and we are citizens of planet Earth. If someone asks you where you are from, tell them you are international, after all you come from a long line of travelers." He always emphasized the added benefit of learning at an early age to adapt to different environments as part of our over-all development, although our neighbors thought we were nuts. One of his favorite sayings was "Keep your ear to the ground, and your outfit collapsible.". Later on he would comment with pride that I was just like a cat, that he could throw up in the air, but would always land on my feet.
I suppose he was right, and the lessons learned have helped me along the way with an ever-changing world. However, as a citizen of the world I have become more and more aware of how the global environment has gone for a spin, much like Alice's falling down the rabbit hole and finding things twisted out of sense, the international environment has become more unpredictable than ever, and people fear traveling perhaps even more than before. Air travel is definitely less pleasurable than it once was, and unless you have pre-planned your travel well, you can face more discomforts upon arrival for certain. Everything from medical insurance to baggage size has to be weighed into the equation. Even international students have to go to greater lengths to obtain student visas.
The economic global crisis, has made people in general, less accepting of foreigners in most countries, even when they come as tourists, there seems to be more mistrust than ever before. I am sure that part of this is due to the malicious behavior of many of the large corporations and the resulting crisis.
It is unfortunate that as of late, the call of "One World" is not heard as much as during my youth. It is also sad that travel is becoming less and less affordable, and fewer young people are able to do so. The world has changed so much in one generation, that unfortunately the value of learning about different perspectives and lifestyles through travel no longer seems as accessible as it once was. For many it has become too much of a hassle.
I have to admit, that the golden age of travel has come to its end, and the "citizens of the world" seem to be fewer and farther between. Somehow, corporations continue going global, but international opportunities are not. It is almost like "the powers that be" are fencing folks in to keep the upper hand and insure low costs by keeping production in countries where the governments allow exploitation of workers, while continuing to sell at high profits in countries that don't. In other words, companies still have the benefit of globe trotting, in a time when few people get a chance to travel outside their immediate communities, and much less have the opportunity to find work in a better job market.
