So I feel we now have to assume past the world as locations for us to go and trip, and we now have to consider these totally different little neighborhoods all around the world which are crammed with our neighbors, and we all the time need to simply attempt to be an excellent neighbor, each after we’re at dwelling and after we’re overseas.
LA: Whether it is cooking in somebody’s kitchen in Morocco, or it is attempting to purchase a Cathay Pacific flight in the airport in Taipei, what are the teachings you’ve got discovered lately?
JN: I feel the largest one which I’ll perpetually and all the time come again to is, most individuals are good. And I can’t permit folks to displace their worry onto me. When persons are saying destructive issues or telling destructive tales of locations they have been each domestically and overseas, I’ll proceed to vocally problem it, whether or not I’m with pals or strangers.
And one factor I’ll discuss actually rapidly. In April of final 12 months, I completed visiting my final 5 U.S. states. It was Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, south and North Dakota, and I did it solo. It was a highway journey. It was superb. And lots of people have been like, oh my God, aren’t you afraid, there was no Black folks? And I’m like, primary, the absence of blackness for me doesn’t equate to worry, and it would not equate to a harmful place. Of course, there is definitely hazard on the market, however I’m by no means going in and assuming as a result of there’s an absence of Black those who I’m going to be unsafe.
And I had so many stunning experiences by all of these states, and yeah, I barely noticed Black folks. But it was lots of small cities and folks have been so sort, so welcoming. And I’ll say actually rapidly, once I was in Fargo, North Dakota, I did have a little bit racial incident that occurred and it actually put me off. This man was simply being impolite and speaking loopy to me. And I used to be like, it was my final day of the journey. And I used to be like, man, I’m not going wherever. I’m so over this, proper?
And I used to be like, no, Jessica, you are going to stand up and you are going to exit. And so I went to a bar, and I’m sitting on the bar on my own and I’m in all probability trying a little bit down, and they’re like, Hey, what is going on on? I used to be like, properly, it is my first time in Fargo.
And I used to be like, it was all good till this incident occurred. And they have been so disgusted and bowled over and I ended up making pals in that bar and they purchased me drinks. I ended up going out to dinner with one man. I had a really early morning flight, and one of many guys on the bar got here and picked me up from my lodge at 5:00 A.M. And took me to the airport.
And it was a type of issues the place one thing dangerous can occur, it will not all the time occur, however I’m once more reminded of the goodness of humanity as a result of even on the backs of that taking place, there have been all of those individuals who mainly held me in their metaphorical arms and made positive that my final expertise in their metropolis was a constructive one. When you consider your on a regular basis lived expertise in actual life, most individuals are good.