Travel can help us break down our own barriers. Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city with a pretty diverse population. I’ve had Japanese food here twice now, sushi and ramen. Both meals were excellent, and the staff appeared to be either Japanese or Chinese. It was strange for me to order Japanese food in Spanish to a Japanese person; it just didn’t feel “normal” in my brain. In one of the restaurants I saw a Spanish cook talking with a Japanese server, and it looked like they were speaking in Catalan.

None of these things I expected here. But now that I’m experiencing them, why not? Talking to a local, there are second and third generation immigrants here in Barcelona, from both China and Japan. It’s completely normalized in the Bay Area where I’m from, why would it not be here? My grandfather emigrated from a different country to the east coast of the United States, and I’m “white.” Immigration is a common phenomenon all over the world.

Earth is more diverse than I think we even realize. There has always been movement of people from various corners of the globe to others. And it makes our world more interesting. There’s always more to learn, about our different languages and cultures and lifestyles. It broadens our perspective of this beautiful planet. Let’s not take it for granted, and try to assume less. We might learn something new, find a new appreciation for something. And it will enable us to not only tolerate our differences, but to enjoy them.