Everyone always talks about how life should be lived, and usually that means going to college, finding a job, having a family and retiring. No one ever mentions branching out or seeing the world. No one ever prioritizes embracing different cultures and finding yourself in foreign places.
However, it’s only right to see the beautiful planet we call home. Traveling encourages people to grow, which is beneficial to bettering the world.
In high school, I had the opportunity to study abroad for ten days in the summer. I traveled to Spain, where I visited four cities and had class for four days.
I fell in love with seeing the culture and beauty and loved being in a different country from where I was born. I was oddly comforted by the new and unseen.
Not only did I learn about the culture and language in the class I took, but also by being surrounded by it every day.
Being thrown into a different culture forced me to adjust and learn to adapt to their ways of living. When I committed to taking this trip, I didn’t know a lot of people that were going. This pushed me to move out of my comfort zone even more, and I ended up meeting amazing people and having the best time.
I am proud to say that Spain has easily been the best experience I have ever had, and it has impacted the person I’ve become.
This experience instilled in my mind the thought that traveling encourages growth. It changed the person I was for the better.
Before, I wasn’t as outgoing or ready for change. After going it implanted this adventurous, more independent, well-rounded personality within me.
Since I forced myself to go out of my comfort zone, change didn’t scare me anymore and I was ready for it. Traveling forces experiences that will make people stronger and more adaptable.
By traveling, I realized how big the world was and how important it was for it to be seen.
If more people traveled, the world would be appreciated more and taken care of better. There is so much beauty to be seen and to be protected. This world is our home, and if we want to continue living here, we must keep it safe.
Letting it die because of an underappreciation for its beauty and ignorance of its specialness is truly a tragedy. Similarly, taking advantage of its resources for our own benefit is killing it.
People need to see more so they believe in its uniqueness. We have one shot to heal our world in order to provide the best life for the future.
Before I took my leap of faith into the world, I didn’t know much about other countries. Studying abroad helped strengthen my knowledge. Being able to experience the cultures of foreign places in person offers better learning than reading about it at home.
Getting out there will push you to realize the differences and appreciate them.
Seeing more of the world will better prepare people for living in it.
Encountering multiple cultures will provide experiences with different people and ideas, which will be beneficial in dealing with others in the future. Traveling isn’t just about seeing the places; it’s about committing to learning about them and becoming one with the culture.
Doing this at a younger age will drill the lessons deeper into your mind and leave you always reminiscing. Immersing oneself in more of the world allows one to fully be a part of it with valuable knowledge to bring to the table.
Walking through the streets of an unknown country, trying unfamiliar food, hearing new languages and seeing the different wonders of each country should be experienced more.
You must see the world to fully live in and understand it.
So get out there and commit to experiences in other countries that’ll change you forever.