When some people think of traveling they get freaked out and never want to take the time to do it. But what better time than right now to do it?! I think traveling really opens up people. From personal experience, it really showed me who I am as a person, as a friend, as a family member, and as a student. I learned so much about myself that I just want to make sure everyone gets to experience the same feeling as myself! I have heard bad and good things about people's experiences abroad but in the end, they all make for great lessons and stories. I would not trade my time abroad for anything in the world. As I have mentioned in my blogs before, I absolutely hated everything while I was over there. But that is what made me so much stronger. I overcame my fear and did something completely out of my comfort zone. It is such an amazing feeling to come out of your comfort zone.
I especially think traveling is so important while you are young. When you grow up, you have so many responsibilities that you have to worry about-- such as kids, family, jobs, houses, pets, the list goes on and on. But being in college, it was a great time because I did not have that many responsibilities. My only one was school, but I actually got credit for traveling there so in the end it all worked out.
Traveling is good for you to experience different cultures. To stay within one culture ,or even one country, for you entire life is beyond boring. There are so many different places to visit and people to learn about and see. Not everyone is just like you. They all have different beliefs, practices, values, time zones, styles, foods, governments, religions, etc. I could go on forever about things that could be different within all the cultures there are in the world. It is so important to experience this because then you are much less judgmental. I think Americans, as a whole, are very judgmental people. This is partly due to the fact that our country is so spoiled. Some people do not even realize that there are people out there that cannot afford food, or that survive on less than one dollar a day. It is actually sad that some people think we are all like across the world. There are so many developing countries that have millions of people and we are in the United States, getting mad that people are driving slow. When a lot of these countries do not even have cars, or even do they have roads to drive on.
Another reason I think traveling is important is because you not only get to see the different cultures, but you get to see all the famous monuments and buildings and places that you hear in every book, newspaper, television, and magazines. It is so amazing that we are able to fly around the country and go to these places. It amazes me how many people do not want to, or are scared to travel. I understand the fear, because there have been so many tragedies with planes, but it is just a great opportunity to risk. It is one thing to see something on paper or on television, but to actually get to see it in real life and see all of the tourism around it, is simply incredible.
I have always had a dream of traveling. And like I said, I think now is a very important time to do so. Get it done now while you are young and have the time and nothing holding you back. I am a firm believer in the saying "you can't take the money with you when you go." My dad loves to spend money on adventures like concerts and shows because it is more important to do these things rather than saving your money for something. You never know when your last day could be, so do what you can, while you can.
Some top places I really want to visit include:
Santorini, Greece-- it is an island in the Aegean sea and southeast of Greece's mainland. This is the place that you probably picture when you think of Greece. The white staircases all over, tiny houses, and the most beautiful body of water you have ever seen.
Bora Bora-- it is an island in the French Polynesia. Most pictures include little huts that sit above the beautiful blue body of water. This body of water is actually the Pacific Ocean. It is only about 3 miles wide and 2 miles long. The population here is only about 8,000 people.
Atlantis-- this is actually a resort located in the Bahamas. You have probably seen the pink resort in many movies and television shows. In particular, there is a giant white slide that you might recognize.
I know that someday I will cross these off of my bucket list because I am a great supporter of traveling and doing it while you are young. This is because I had the opportunity to do it. When I almost did not take it, I would have regretted that for the rest of my life. I used to be one of the people that was so scared to fly or to travel. But I did both, and I did it alone with strangers that I did not know. I met some people that I will be lifetime friends with and I think that is one of the most important aspects of traveling. The people you meet help you find who you are too. They could be good or bad influences on you, and luckily I got the chance to meet some of the greatest people I will ever meet in my entire life. And I cannot thank them enough for coming into my life, but without traveling I would have never met them.
At the end of the day, my only advice for everyone is to travel while you can. I cannot stress how much you will learn about the world and about yourself while you do. It is such an incredible feeling to do so.
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