For as long as I can remember, my family and I have always traveled. I can still remember one of the first trips out of the country. I was three years old, and my parents, their friends and I took a trip to Belize. I was so excited to go, especially because I loved my parents’ friends and flying. I was so young but I can still vividly remember it. I remember being a little kid and seeing everything as so big. Sitting on the edge of the long boardwalk that linked to our house on the beach, I watched as the stingrays and fish swam below me in the most beautiful blue water of the Caribbean I had seen. From that point forward, traveling had my heart.
One of my favorite aspects of traveling is being able to go to the most unique and different places all over the world. From walking around and shopping in big cities with big lights like Chicago or New York, to reading a book by the pool, looking out to the most beautiful vineyard in the fields of Montalcino, Italy. I’ve learned to grow an appreciation for earth and the nature it provides differently everywhere. Everywhere you look is a different type of plant, animal, etc. that is specific to that part of the world. This has also changed my perspective of how in my future and the rest of ours we can help preserve the original nature grown all around us.
As I’ve grown, my parents have always made it known that traveling is one of the best ways to learn. Seeing them go to new places for years and fully immerse themselves in every culture they find has shown me how much you can learn everywhere. Out of the eight countries and countless states I’ve visited I can honestly say I have never left one without learning something new. There are so many ways to learn but one of my favorites is talking to new people. Every person I have met has a story which is all so distinctive to that specific person. You can truly learn so much from one conversation when you open your mind to the countless possibilities a person can go through in their life.
Traveling has also allowed me to get closer to family and friends and even make some new ones. With my family, every trip we go on brings us closer together. I would say it is because we always try exciting things together that go from trying new foods to going on adventures such as, zip lining, hiking, scuba diving, mountain biking, etc. My favorite kinds of trips are my family’s reunion when me and my cousins can stay together and connect with each other as we all live in different states.
Traveling forces me to be put in situations that I would not encounter in my everyday life, which is why I think it is so important and a great way to learn. It allows you to immerse yourself in a culture and really understand your environment, embracing how different life can be. After reading my little spiel, overall I would highly recommend traveling and keeping an open mind toward every new person and every new place.
