In Flight...

Jan 22-23



While in flight on route to my first stop to Lima, Peru, there were a number of things on my mind.

I couldn´t help thinking about how much I forgot to acknowledge factors about how much my trip itself was unsustainable. I want to feel responsible for my actions, I want to be aware of the impact I alone have. If we want to build a movement of citizens engaged in a global struggle all with the agenda of sustaining healthier lives, for everyone and the earth as well as maximizing democracy I didn´t think enough about my own ecological footprint.





Air travel uses an enormous amount of fuel and oil . In the future I have to give this issue more thought and attention. It is an excellent idea and amazingly easily to look up your own ecological footprint in relationship to travel, especially air travel and see how you can be proactive. There are dozens of tools and articles online that one can use...



Moving right along...



Random things that crossed my mind on the plane while in route...



* There was a Muslim man in front of me in security, he wore a long gown and was most likely
Pakistani . It disturbed me that this was not the first time I saw Muslim men being checked an extra 20 minutes and everyone moving along side of them not caring or paying attention that these men were being racially profiled. Some people around him even looked hesitant being close to them, I could almost sense their fear. Scenes like these never cease to hurt me deeply.



* I played language games on my Lan Airlines flight on the touch screen infront of my seat on the plane. If I want to communicate, relate and create bridges with people , organizations and movements I will have to talk to people that don´t speak english. I have to make an effort to try to learn and go outside my comfort. I wrote down appropriate phrases in my notebook.



* All the flight attendants assume I´m Latina and speak to me in spanish. I realize because of my dark features I can pass for allot of different ethnicities so I will encounter this often.



* I feel amazing to be on this plane now- I feel like I have already liberated myself with all the complications of not letting myself believe I deserve to do a project like this... because even though travel stems from privilege to move... I have never enjoyed much privilege in my life as the daughter of a working class , immigrant family in the US. I will stop feeling guilty for this and make this trip amazing and productive.



* I will read ¨Earth Democracy¨ by Vandana Shiva to get my mind on issues that I want to think about .. about thinking of an alternatives that promote democratic participation, that protect indigenous cultures, local economies and are ofcourse sustainable.



* My mentor, Dr. Sue Harris had reminded me that this trip would help me feel like I belong to humanity. We often forget how much we feel alienated from people, especially in a capitalist, commodity obsessed, workaholic American pace life. I am blessed to feel have the opportunity to do a project like this. Even though I want to share my experience and be the most productive on this trip, I know that ultimately the most rewards will be felt by me. This project will help me with my own internal liberation, with finding truth and inspiration in other struggles, in other wins and give me the insight and strength to keep fighting. I am not tired!