Somebody Feed Lisa - I could have my own show!

One of my favorite shows on television is “Somebody Feed Phil,” starring Phil Rosenthal, who created, writes and produces the program. In every episode, a euphoric Phil travels the world sampling amazing cuisine and connecting with people in different cultures.

Phil Rosenthal also produced the award-winning sitcom, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” starring Ray Romano, which aired from 1996-2005. Dr. John LaPook’s thought-provoking May 8 interview on “CBS Sunday Morning” unveiled how Rosenthal altered the attitude of his employee, Ray.

After season one ended, Romano revealed that he was going to the Jersey shore on vacation. When Phil asked if he’d ever been to Europe, Ray answered, “I’m not interested in other places.”

Rosenthal said, “A lightbulb went off. We’ve got to do that episode,” because he knew with that attitude, he had to write an episode on the show where Ray was forced to travel abroad.

Of course, Romano hates the idea of leaving his comfort zone, but soon he is kicking a soccer ball with the local children, eating the best pizza of his life, and appreciating the breathtaking scenery. After the experience, Romano said, “It's just seeing goodness from people who don't look like you, sound like you. You know, there's like this common denominator that you realize people are good all over.”

Travel has changed the way I view the world, too. One 2008 excursion, an 11-night eastern Mediterranean cruise aboard the Celebrity Galaxy, led my husband and me to see many parts of the world we had only dreamed about visiting.

We were exhausted when we arrived in Rome, and our friends wanted to take a nap. I realized we had to seize the day, even if it was just for a few hours. So I asked the manager at the hotel for assistance, and within minutes, we were careening along back roads in a taxi, zigzagging around olive trees, seeing the colorful local village and eating real pasta!

What I learned about planning for the trip was how imperative it is to sign up for personal excursions. One sightseeing tour, The Colors, Tastes & Scents of Turkey, gave us a chance to meet and dine with locals. Our van drove from Kusadasi toward Sirince, and soon were touring the small village of Kirazli Koy, where we were fed warm plates of one family’s household dishes. The aroma of homemade bread sealed our connection of cultures and eliminated all language barriers.

When we went on an all-inclusive trip to Negril, Jamaica, we ventured out on a river walk with a local guide named Dennis. As we drove through the countryside and saw home after home on cinder blocks, we learned it meant you didn’t own the land but were renting. If you had goats and chickens wandering your property, you were wealthy compared to your neighbors.

We were saddened about the lack of education for children, particularly girls. We left the island with the memory of Dennis climbing a tree to bring us star fruit to taste. When he sliced the fruit and pressed a cut half to the back of my hand, it left a star-shaped imprint, a greater gift than an all-you-can-eat buffet.

I’m boarding a plane for Paris this week, and I am thinking about all the years of taking classroom French and only hearing about the Arc de Triomphe, strolling beside the Seine and along the Champs-Élysées.

Rosenthal believes, “There is no more mind-expanding thing we can do than travel. It literally changes your way of thinking; it changes your perspective.”

I am reminded of my annual childhood vacations to Ocean City, Md. Whether I looked out the back window of the car or the front, the scenery was familiar. The family came home with a sunburn, and nothing about us was renewed.

Yes, I have anxiety! Lots of things can go wrong, but maybe more can go right. For now, I will escape the familiar, and my mind is open to a host of possibilities that I will grow as a human being.

Reach Lisa Graff at lgraff1979@gmail.com. Find her on Facebook by searching Our Senior Yearbook; on Twitter @#lisajgraff1 and at her website, lisajgraff.com.