Dear Mr. Paradise,
I am writing as both an avid traveler and an admirer of your numerous grand road trips across the US. I see travel as a tool which can combat forces of prejudice and bigotry, something that most people could surely use. Personally, I travel in order to fulfill my sense of wonder about all things foreign. I don't just want to visit another land and see its sights, but rather I want to experience local culture, venture down backroads, and interact with people who I would never get the chance to meet while home in America.
I'm reaching out to ask you to divulge more details to me about your incredible travels with Dean and the rest of your gang. Principally, I want to know why you travel; what do you feel it fulfills in your life? I understand that you simply love the open road, but what about it? What lessons can be learned from the road and through traveling to places you've never gone?
I like to think that travel makes people more accepting and open to new and potentially foreign ideals. Throughout most of On The Road I believed as if you felt the same and were opening your arms out wide to the world. However, in my opinion, that only seemed to be the case in the US. Once out of the tourism jaded part of Mexico, you and especially Dean seemed to be out of your element and somewhat uncomfortable. While in the US you seemed to express a joy and wonder in experiencing new regions and meeting different peoples, but once in the hot, dense jungle your mind seemed to change. You and Dean became rather uncomfortable and felt no connection to the native people. Consequently, I ask you why you had such a negative shift of attitude and perception of the world once you left the United States and Americanized part of Mexico? I would imagine a person as in love with the road as yourself would be even more excited to be out of your element and in a foreign place like the Mexican jungle villages. Regardless of any difference in opinions, I enjoy your passion for exploration.
I'll wrap this up with one last thought: Do you believe travel is necessary for one to truly obtain an open mind and understand the world and its peoples? And if so, how is it fair that the "road" is less open to certain ethnic or cultural groups?
Best,
TJ
