Introduction

            Through this course, I read a lot of books and essays which explored identities of travelers on journeys to explore the New World, their homeland of Islam and China as well as migrating to America in order to start a new life, which not always look as bright and colorful as they hope it will. Their stories, travels, their life that they spent on fulfilling their dreams provided them with valuable lessons about themselves; their own identities. Identities that were influenced, changed and discovered every time the character had encountered a stranger from a different land, a different country, religion or race.
            On this blog, I inscribe journeies of people who, through their travels, had a chance of defying their identities and life purpose. In Travels of Ibn Batutah, Batutah travels through the great world of Islam, fulfilling his life journey by visiting the city of Mecca. He encounters strangers from different countries, with different cultures and customs, and is offered high job positions which all play a big role in the shape of his identity. In The Nun’s Tale, an older nun tells about her life from the day she entered the convent. She talks about her family, decision about becoming a nun, and the duties she had as a nun. All of this is happening as she lies on her death bed wondering if she was a good person or she did things more likely for her own benefit. In Lee’s case we are being introduced to his life as a worker on sugar plantation in Hawaii. How he came to U.S.A. to find and pursue this American dream, but instead had to face discrimination, torture and fear for the life of his family and his own.
            So look through those stories, maybe there is something that will interest, amaze or shock you. And think about your own identity. Is it still the same as it was a couple years ago, maybe it was recently influenced by something that had happened in your life which made it to change? Then what do you think is our purpose and meaning of life? Will we change it or will it change us? Mostly how should our identity be constructed in order for us to stay true to ourselves?