Bright Spot: Expanding horizons through travel

BRAINERD — Travel can transport and even reshape how you see the world.

Gary Payne became interested in other cultures while serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, when his ship visited the Philippines and Japan.

His travels intrigued him even in college where he wanted to learn more about the world. At first politics seemed to make sense, but politics didn't provide the answers to his curiosity. Sociology did, leading Payne to a career in sociology at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and a life of travel.

Payne and his wife Mary Rosenberg, also an educator, have traveled extensively over the years. The pair has spent nearly four months in Argentina, between two trips spanning 10,000 miles.

The pair went from museum to museum and World Heritage Sites. Though Payne describes himself as a news junkie, he said he didn't know that much about Argentina, including the history and connection to the United States.

"We have quite a history there, and people don't really know about it," he said during an interview on Bright Spot on the KAXE Morning Show.

As a world traveler to places like Somalia, Ethiopia and Guyana, Payne found Argentina an easy and safe place to travel. As a sociologist, he is intrigued by the comparison of cultures: he noted Argentina has much lower homicide and incarceration rates than the United States.

"They have found a way to get along with each other that is missing here in the United States," he said.

Payne and Rosenberg will share some of their favorite photos and experiences in a Cultural Thursday program Thursday, April 9, at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. There will be two presentations: one at noon in the Chalberg Theater and one at 7 p.m. in the school's lecture lab (room E354).

The stated goal of Cultural Thursday is to build understanding of diverse peoples, perspectives and places on Earth. It takes place eight times each school year, usually on the first Thursday of each month. The April program was rescheduled due to snow.

Payne has led dozens of Cultural Thursday programs, and thinks travel can break down cultural barriers that beg the question, "What can we learn from them?"

Listen to our conversation above to hear about Payne's favorite national park in Argentina and more!

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The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.