The College Perspective by Lindsey

For the last six years, Patrick Blaine has been a Spanish professor at Morningside College, but his full story and his impact on communities worldwide goes far beyond this job title.

Blaine has travelled the world, spending time teaching as well as pursuing his hobby of skiing in countries like Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, and Switzerland, as well as many others. To students asking about travel, he states, “If you can do it, go.” He has a special interest in Latin American cultures, which started on his first trip in college to Spain, where he stayed for a year.

While Blaine has been to many countries he spent a significant amount of time in Chile, around three years, where he met his wife and lived in San Sebastian, which he would eventually name his son after.

As Blaine grew up in America but also lived overseas for long periods of time, he was able to see many of the significant differences between America and other countries. He noticed that other countries have more freedom in terms of sexuality, where bodies are celebrated instead of considered bad or dirty as they are in America. Americans also have a greater need for personal space than other places. Other countries also tend to be more honest with each other, which led to Blaine having a more conscious need to pay attention to how he was interacting with and perceived by others.

All in all, Blaine sees travel as a more interactive learning experience. He believes that most employers see world travel as experience in international affairs, which helps more young people obtain jobs. The minority and majority races in the job market are switching, which means that those who have more experience and are better equipped to cooperate with and understand different cultures are more likely to obtain and keep the jobs they want. While many travelers experience culture shock, in the end, the experiences they have while on the journey make them a well-rounded individual.