Day 532 In Beijing: Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Cappadocia, Into The Valley.

 

 

Jill, the crew, and I dropped into another valley.

Captain Mike wanted to show us a bunch of homes that were built into the valley walls.

We were blown away, once again, by the sheer ability of humans to survive in any type of environment.

People lived in these homes for hundreds of years, to escape persecution either from the Christians or from the Muslims, depending on their beliefs and the beliefs of their attackers.

It is sad to say that this is the main reason that these people lived in these amazing homes, but it seems to be.

I wish that religion, or beliefs of any type, would be more open to other ways of thinking and being able to see different perspectives so that we can get along more easily and see the good in each other.

I am saddened to imagine the fear, hatred, and mistrust that was held, for hundreds of years, because of people believing in a different belief or ideal.

It still happens today, and it still saddens me.

I can only do a small part of changing this way of thinking and that is another reason I travel: I want people to see that I’m not like anyone else and I want to see that they are individuals also.

We are each unique, in our own way, and yet tied to humanity.

When we touch that humanity, we allow our circle of community to grow larger and break stereotypes that hold us back from connecting to each other and seeing how we can influence each other and make the world a better place to live.

At least, in my humble little way, that is what I’m trying to do each day.