I Go Where They Don’t

 

Odile Heberle is a Lecturer in French at the University of California Irvine. Although she enjoys the French language, stepping outside of her comfort zone has defined her most memorable trips. She said, “My most amazing travel and discovery of a different culture was my trip to Pakistan.” She explained that she was hesitant about the trip she was going to make halfway across the world, stating “At first I didn’t want to go, it didn’t seem very

attractive to me.” But what changed her mind? Well it was

the story of the country.

 

According to Heberle, “The story of the country is all about

the Silk Road and the religion.”  By immersing herself in a

religion and environment that is unlike hers, she was able to

perceive the country in a whole new light. She described the

architecture as being “beautiful and well-preserved” and

shared that, “the architecture is highly influenced by Islamic

culture.”

 

But among the challenges she faced was the pressure of

using public transportation. Heberle said, “We would always

travel by bus and the locals were always particularly surprised

to see a tourist. They understood that a lot of tourists

wouldn’t go on a bus.” According to Heberle public

transportation is not popular among tourists. The article, 

Public Transport in Pakistan: A Critical Overview, Muhammad

Imranto suggests that the expansion of Pakistani cities has

increased trip length for residents, making cycling less

feasible and a shift for motorized modes more desirable.

 

Although there is hesitation towards using public

transportation due to the depleting need to progress the

system, it is the place where Heberle witnessed cultural a

wareness at its best. Heberle said, “My friend and I would hop on the bus and the locals would start asking questions. They were very curious about where we were from? And how far we had traveled?