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Matt Swartz

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100,000 Steps of Perspective

1

Back before the era of COVID when travel was a regular occurance in my life, I was on a trip to Europe and by the end of the first week there, I had walked over 100,000 steps that week. 100,000 steps! My Fitbit had never been so happy as, day after day, it danced as it passed the daily 10,000 steps. I was sleeping great each night.

Here is the interesting thing though: Walking through these amazing cities in Europe gives you a very different perspective. I was walking through neighborhoods that were far off the “tourist” route, and seeing a side of these cities that gave me a different perspective.

I am by no means “anti-tourist.” I think people should get out and see the world. I think we should refuse to live in fear simply because an extremist wants to control our lives. I refuse to curl up in a corner and hide from the opportunities to see amazing people and cultures. Go out there and get your tourist on! Wear that backpack and carry that water bottle that screams “I am from the United States!” I’m ok with being in that group.

What I am saying is that there is a tendency when we do go out to see only the expected places. To stop in at the sites that Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor rated highest. These are probably all amazing sites, but they will not give you the entire picture.

Somewhere off the beaten path, there are these amazing restaurants, pubs and hole-in-the wall gathering spots that paint a refreshing picture of real life in these cities. Many of these cities have history dating back thousands of years. I sat in one restaurant that has been open longer than the United States has been a country.

I am not a travel snob. I get it that my job provides the opportunity to travel internationally and see some amazing parts of the world. But this principle applies to my life in the U.S. as well. I was recently in New York City and had the opportunity to spend a few nights in Brooklyn. We were there serving alongside Beraca Baptist Church, and they housed us in an apartment down the street from the church. As we walked through that neighborhood each day, I became convinced that seeing New York through the eyes of this community gave a fuller picture than what I would have seen if I had only visited Times Square.

100,000 steps. 100,000 opportunities to see the world through a different lens. 100,000 memories of some amazing places that I had the opportunity to see through different eyes.

100,000 Steps

0

I recently was on a trip to Europe and by the end of the first week there, I had walked over 100,000 steps that week. 100,000 steps! My Fitbit had never been so happy as, day after day, it danced as it passed the daily 10,000 steps. I was sleeping great each night. Here is the interesting thing though: Walking through these amazing cities in Europe gives you a very different perspective. I was walking through neighborhoods that were far off the “tourist” route, and seeing a side of these cities that gave me a different perspective. I am by no means “anti-tourist.” I think people should get out and see the world. I think we should refuse to live in fear simply because an extremist wants to control our lives. I refuse to curl up in a corner and hide from the opportunities to see amazing people and cultures. Go out there and get your tourist on! Wear that backpack and carry that water bottle that screams “I am from the United States!” I’m ok with being in that group. What I am saying is that there is a tendency when we do go out to see only the expected places. To stop in at the sites that Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor rated highest. These are probably all amazing sites, but they will not give you the entire picture. Somewhere off the beaten path, there are these amazing restaurants, pubs and hole-in-the wall gathering spots that paint a refreshing picture of real life in these cities. Many of these cities have history dating back thousands of years. I sat in one restaurant that has been open longer than the United States has been a country. I am not a travel snob. I get it that my job provides the opportunity to travel internationally and see some amazing parts of the world. But this principle applies to my life in the U.S. as well. I was recently in New York City and had the opportunity to spend a few nights in Brooklyn. We were there serving alongside Beraca Baptist Church, and they housed us in an apartment down the street from the church. As we walked through that neighborhood each day, I became convinced that seeing New York through the eyes of this community gave a fuller picture than what I would have seen if I had only visited Times Square. 100,000 steps. 100,000 opportunities to see the world through a different lens. 100,000 memories of some amazing places that I had the opportunity to see through different eyes.