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AMERICAN TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD ON A DOLLAR A DAY |
AMERICAN TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD ON A DOLLAR A DAY |
| Written by Olga | |
| Wednesday, 05 March 2008 | |
(SEATTLE, WA)—According to the Department of Labor, the average federal minimum wage in the United States is $5.85 an hour. Gary Garner, a vagabond for the twenty-first century and author of the new book Through the Eyes of Madness, spent five years of his life traveling around the world to remote villages and more often than not, earning less than a dollar a day. “When I left for my trip around the world, I decided that I would work with the locals whenever I could, to gain get a better understanding of their culture and their way of life,” says Garner. “I soon found that the local pay scales in third world countries amounted to pennies per hour in American currency, often for long and difficult days of work.” He adds, “I encountered many families who worked their fingers to the bone, and had barely enough food to feed them selves. I was amazed at how quick they were to share what little that they had with a complete stranger such as myself.” Garner remembers the villages he visited where material possessions and wealth were not necessities. He was surprised by the apparent inverse proportions of wealth and happiness. “It seems that once a society is above the threshold of being able to feed and shelter their families, the more content they really are. I can remember being in villages where the people lived in dung huts, and children at the makeshift school shared one piece of chalk for three years. Believe it or not, these were some of the most satisfied people I have ever met. They were extremely wise, and knew the true value of life,” says Garner. “For them, it wasn’t about how much you made or what material possessions you had. They appreciated the things that mattered most: family, health and helping others.” While roaming all seven continents in search of a simpler life, Garner experienced:
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