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A home away from home. Isn't that what every traveler is searching for? Somewhere to put their feet up and stare off at a beautiful scene? Maybe it will bring peace, or maybe it will spark joy and excitement. Or maybe, in the case of a rare few, it will bring pain. The most fortunate will look into the distance and notice something that does not feel comfortable. The travelers who see the divide from landscape and culture are the people who need to be a global citizen. Those who would rather meet a local school teacher than a starfish in the resorts fishtank have the power to share cultures and create understanding for others that have taken too long to grow. This pain is not physical, but mental. It is pain that is caused by seeing misunderstood cultures, stunted and destroyed civilizations, and knowing prejudices that have grown freely. I believed myself to be a small cog in the massive clockwork that is the world. What can I do other than get on a plane and sit on a beach? Is that not what traveling is? What it is supposed to be? Is the Dominican Republic no more than long white beaches packed with tourists and all-inclusive resorts with heated pools? And then I went to the village built inside a garbage dump less than an hour from Santo Domingo. In those moments, traveling from Batey to village to local landmarks, I was a tornado of emotion. That I was helpless to give Dominican people the basics of life, that I could not be there to carry barefoot children over glass every day, and that they were here because of colonialization and slavery. When the poor are labeled as ‘poor’, their position loses its meaning - the years of discrimination, being used for the benefit of the European rich, and the lack of control are lost in this definition. And then I realised the knowledge I gained in that moment, too. That I then knew how destructive tourism can really be. There was an invisible, blissful wall between resorts and local communities. That western ideals about Caribbean vacations have distracted from the devastation that exists and continues to worsen from natural disasters and North American action that is not done for a self-sufficient society. How colonialism is still alive and well in every motion that brings other government-run organizations into countries like the Dominican Republic. And, most important, that by putting myself on a plane for a humanitarian trip instead of a resort vacation was the first step towards personal development I value every day. Education is and has always been the most relevant and often underestimated tool when considering a global community and cultural experiences. Anyone can be a traveler, as you are only a laptop or library pass away from Germany, India, and Brazil. Understanding religion is only a google search away, and apps have been made to prepare you for warm greetings in other languages. I can tell you for a fact that anyone you meet in the Dominican Republic is more blissful than you or I - no matter their circumstances. That these content people deserve so much more than what time and destruction have placed them with, but will still meet you with a warm handshake and an invite to share in their culture. Education, communication, destruction of corrupted prejudices about society and culture will all bring about a worldwide community. The traveler who is ready to listen and experience these things is the traveler who can make a difference in misunderstood societies. The traveler who does not benefit the western idea of a vacation is doing their part to help divided countries obtain a balance. While we are each only one person, we must not underestimate how our small actions can bring about actual quality of life beyond the toil too many have been burdened with.