Walking through Place-des-Arts station in snow-covered boots, in the middle of the harsh Canadian winter, I suddenly hear the most beautiful, enticing, comforting piano. Walking around the corner to see a homeless man slumped over the colourful piano placed in the centre of this busy station. A heavy blanket weighing down his shoulders while the frost is still melting. No one is watching him, yet I’ve never heard a piano so beautifully strung with so much emotion in each key.
Travelling has taught me that sustainability is not just about protecting the environment but about protecting the people who live in them.
I have had the privilege to study in Canada for a semester and study in Japan for a semester. It has taught me so much though education systems, volunteering, and engaging in local communities. As I am from a low-income family this immense access to quality worldwide education is such a privilege as I have only been able to complete this through grants. I know how much quality education can affect someone’s life, and this experience will stay with me and inspires me to try and shed light on communities that need it. I saw firsthand how goals such as quality education, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities are all interconnected and all vitally important for the world.
Throughout both exchanges, I prioritised trains, buses and walking over cars and planes wherever possible. Not only did this reduce my environmental impact, but also encouraged me to experience each destination more intentionally, appreciate the local neighbourhoods rather than just passing through them.
I also volunteered in a soup kitchen while in Canada, it faced me with the inequalities throughout cultures, it challenged my assumption of different societies that food insecurity only affects those visibly experiencing homelessness. I met students, families and minimum wage workers whose struggles often remained unseen and have inspired me to always fight to reduce inequalities. This also inspired me to mainly go to mom-and-pop shops and has somehow led to many unexpected relationships, even through language barriers. This demonstrates some of the UN sustainability goals that can be more covert in everyday life but are still just as important. People should not just focus on climate action but also on responsible consumption, sustainable cities, zero hunger and no poverty.
Studying abroad has changed the way I define sustainable travel; it is not only measured in the miles I’ve avoided flying or the water stations found for a reusable bottle, but by the relationships I build and communities I try to support. These experiences have shaped how I intend to travel in the future and how I hope to contribute to my communities more when I return home.
I still think about the pianist in the station, people hurried past like he was invisible; sustainable travel is about noticing the overlooked and making small choices to try and help. I think the world becomes more sustainable the moment we choose to truly see each other.
