With this book I am launching globally aware travel for the general public. I have found that travelers want to know such things as how the history of an area fits into the big historical picture, why people hold certain values and traditions, how a regions’ culture and geography affect local food and customs, why people embrace different views about significant global issues, or how our own view of the world influences what we experience on our travels. Delving into these questions, and many more, is the essence of globally aware travel.
In my years as an educator, world historian, and traveler, I have found that many engaged and curious lifelong learners are eager to see the world with new eyes, hear fresh perspectives, learn about new ideas, and seek out authentic experiences. In response to this need, I am offering global awareness as a new focus of travel. Denise Ames
“Your journey lies before you and will be what you make it.”
Denise R. Ames
About the Book
Are you often disappointed your travels have left you wanting a more authentic and deeper experience? Do you wonder what lessons you can learn from your travels? Are you a culturally curious and engaged traveler who is seeking to enhance your awareness about the world? Are you a lifelong learner who is eager to make the world your classroom? If so, read on, as this book is written for you.
Burj Khalifa Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, photo Denise Ames
More About
Travel with New Eyes:
A Global Awareness Guide for Travelers
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I have written this book to provide ways for culturally-curious travelers to enhance their global awareness. They, in turn, can contribute to making informed decisions about the state of the world and how to navigate these tumultuous and challenging times.
The Coast of Croatia, photo Denise Ames -
The travel industry offers a mindboggling array of options to meet the diverse needs and different tastes of the traveling public. In response to this diverse spectrum of travel choices I am offering a new and unique approach to travel: globally aware travel.
Abyaneh Village, Iran, photo Denise Ames -
This book is an overview of what I have found to be the meaning of global awareness and ways it can enhance our travels. I would like to share with you this personally exciting and purposeful new focus of travel. As a plus, throughout the book you will find fun vignettes of my travel experiences.
Butcher in Naples, Italy, photo Denise Ames
Travel with New Eyes Chapter Summaries
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1. Global Awareness for Travelers: A New Focus of Travel
Lays out the case for globally aware travel as a new focus of travel and explains why it is a compelling approach to travel. Compares globally aware travel to other travel approaches.
Students in China, photo Denise Ames
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2. Path #1 A Holistic World History: Learning from the Past
This holistic, “big picture,” approach to history organizes human development into five critical turning points or waves—Communal, Agricultural, Urban, Modern, and Global.
Children in Finland, photo Denise Ames
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3. Path #2 Five Worldviews: Different Ways We See the World
Will we ever get along? Issues seen through the lens of five worldviews—indigenous, traditional, progressive, globalized, and transformative—helps us understand ourselves and others.
Women Weaving in Bahrain, photo Denise Ames
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4. Path #3 Cross-Cultural Awareness: Learning About and From Others
Are we all weird? We explore cultural differences and human commonalities using a cross-cultural organizer and five other captivating and easy to understand approaches.
Mayan ruins in Belize, photo Denise Ames
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5. Path #4 Global Issues: A Primer for Travelers
Travelers may encounter or want to know more about five significant global issues: environment, global economy, political structures, social issues, and belief systems.
Check point, Berlin, Germany, photo Denise Ames
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6. Path #5 Time Honored Insights: Integrating Wisdom of the Ages
Like the ancient philosophers of the past, integrating time-honored insights—understanding, balancing, connecting, opening up, and laughing—into our travels unlocks wisdom.
Mosque in Iran, photo Denise Ames
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7. Path #6 Well-Being: Travel as a Journey of Discovery
Well-being is a good or satisfactory condition of existence and exists at a personal and global level. Travel can amplify our well-being by becoming more attuned to our surroundings.
Village in France, photo Denise Ames
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8. Path #7 Travel as a Mythic Journey: Embarking Upon a Personal Quest
A mythic journey is a personal quest to deepen our insights about our inward life and our greater purpose in the outer world. Travel can serve as a magical mythic journey.
Lebanon/Israel border, photo Denise Ames
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9. Path #8 Lessons from Travel: Applications for Our Daily Life
Travel has the capacity to teach us many lessons if we are open to its magical insights. What lessons do you want to learn from travel?
Bazaar in Shiraz, Iran, photo Denise Ames
About the Author…
Dr. Denise R. Ames’ varied life experiences—teaching, world travels, scholarly research, personal experiences, and reflections—have contributed to her holistic approach, global perspectives, balanced views, and cultural insights. She earned a doctorate in world history education and has taught extensively. In 2003, she founded an educational nonprofit, Center for Global Awareness, where she has written eleven books. CGA’s latest program—Global Awareness for Travelers (GATE)—aligns with Dr. Ames’ passion for travel and teaching about global awareness.
Denise in a mosque in Bahrain
I have found that notwithstanding my form of travel— a cruise ship, a road trip, a tour abroad, or visiting with family and friends—I can try to understand different cultures and historical backgrounds. Once I have deciphered cultural clues hidden beneath the surface, I can realize my goal of greater cultural and historical understanding. This is one of the reasons I have written this book, to share with you my passion for travel along with the cultural clues that I have accumulated over the years to discover cultural differences and understand diverse historical backgrounds; in other words, ways to enhance global awareness.
Persepolis in Iran, photo Denise Ames
More About the Book
Incorporating the practice of global awareness into your itinerary and habits of mind can enhance your experiences and make your travels more memorable and life-changing.
Grandfather and grandson, China, photo Denise Ames
Globally aware travelers learn from people similar to and different from us, explore significant global issues, consider multiple worldviews, examine layers of world history, and reflect on their inner well-being and outer purpose in the world.
Denise crossing border into US from Juarez, Mexico
My overall purpose in writing this book is simply to enhance travelers’ global awareness by understanding our place in the wider world and our relationships with others.