Thoughtful Thursday

Each Thursday, I try to write about something that will give you a thought, or idea, to ponder. Today, I am going to write a little about traveling. Most of you know that I love to travel and have written a couple of books about my adventures. Travel, for me, is much more than just siteseeing. That's fun, for sure, but I most like learning about the people, history, and customs of the places that I visit. Learning about new countries is exciting...even if I've never visited them. For example, I am learning a lot these days about Finland. Yep,Finland. It's not a country that most humans give much thought to, but it's a pretty remarkable place. Did you know that Finland ranks number 2 on the world's Greater Good list? That means that the Finnish people have loads of humanity, as well as compassion for the planet.  Way to go, Finland! And Finland's moor frogs are on the "least threatened" list, probably because the Finnish people take care of their land and water. I think international travel should be mandatory. The more you see of the world, the more you realize that we are more alike than we are different. Travel unites us. I will close with this thought, "You develop a sympathy for all human beings when you travel a lot."...Shakuntata Devi.