What's traveling got to do with flowers?

The key ingredient: getting rid of an Orientalist perspective

Let's say you are putting together the perfect bouquet. Some people may just gravitate towards one flower and call it a day. But then there are the people that seek out the rarest flowers, the most vibrant and most unique and combine it all together. 

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It is exactly the same with travel. 

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When you travel to a different location, place, country, or just to a different part of your town, you don't just grab on to one element of the culture and stick with that impression for the rest of your life. Because if you just stick with that one stereotype, that could belittle the place you are visiting. Having a stereotypical mindset could potentially lead to you thinking the locals are for your amusement solely. The locals have a rich history--and it's up to you to appreciate that culture and be a respectful traveler.

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Avoiding the idea of Orientalism--now that is they key. This concept of Orientalism, created by intellectual Edward Said, states that it is a "style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between 'the Orient' and 'the Occident'." So, this basically means the East has less superiority than the West and many people view the East as an exotic place but nothing more than amusement to the West. This mindset could be dissolved easily if travelers put in the effort to seek out the entirety of a culture. Orientalism can be found in all types of media--music, film, television and so on--but if we begin to see all cultures with a plethora of fascinating and unique qualities, we will begin to move away from stereotypes and focus on immersing ourselves into collecting an overall understanding. Travelers should take in each and every aspect of a culture they visit in order to develop an accurate and respectful portrayal of the place--not just hone in on only one.

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You want to create a beautiful bouquet full of a wide variety of flowers, each with a different meaning and asset unique to itself.

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And that is why traveling is like putting together a bouquet of flowers. And one petal at a time, we can begin to avoid Orientalism and create a cultural understanding that's perfect for any avid florist, if you know what I mean.

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