Travel has a way of teaching us—whether we like it or not. Sometimes, it’s a new lesson; other times, it’s a not-so-subtle reminder of what we should already know.

Take community. As Americans, we’ve mastered coexisting without actually interacting—self-checkouts, food delivery apps, even texting “here” instead of knocking. Technology makes isolation effortless, and human connection starts to feel optional. But when you have less, you need your community more. In many places, that’s just life. It’s a reality check we could all use—because no one’s ever survived a crisis thanks to Amazon Prime.