World travel is one of the greatest educations you can get. I believe everyone should take the opportunity to see the world they live in before they die. Traveling allows people to become well-rounded individuals with the ability to have open minds and welcome new perspectives. Last week, I traveled out of the country with one of my best friends for the first time and it taught me a lot of things I would never have been able to learn in a classroom in America. Here are some of the things I learned:
- Meeting new people is one of the greatest and most enriching experiences
I signed up for my trip to Europe through a program called EF College break where students ages 18-28 throughout the U.S. all meet in the destination country and prepare to spend the next week together traveling through Europe. Where I am from, I don’t get the opportunity to meet a lot of people. This trip gave me the chance to not only meet new people in the group, but I got to meet very different people from very different places scattered throughout the U.S. This allowed me to see that everyone has a story to tell.
There are so many different people just in the country I live in and this trip opened my eyes to the fact that although these people are vastly different from me due to everyone being a product of their environment, we all had one thing in common: we all love to travel. This basis gave us all something to share in common from the get-go. It instantly brought us together and although not everyone meshed perfectly, it was a wonderful experience I wouldn’t have changed for the world. This trip introduced me to so many different personalities and for that, I am forever grateful.
2. You can fall in love in less than 24 hours
Being immersed in a new culture allowed me to get a taste of new people, places and languages. It is instilled in human nature to always seek new and exciting things. When you begin to fall in love with someone new for example, you are enthralled by the adrenaline rush from this fresh experience but after a while it develops into a normative, just like all things we become accustomed to. I discovered the same thing applies to traveling to new places. Within the first few hours of exploring, I was mesmerized.
I fell in love with the different ways my name was pronounced (and other words in general), the intricate detail on every building (so much hard work was put into these buildings, it’s incredible!), and especially all the BEAUTIFUL people. It’s so refreshing to see people who look different than people in your native country. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think we can all agree as Americans that Europe has an extensive amount of attractive people. I didn’t believe in love at first sight or sound, but Europe has taught me otherwise.
3. You get to lose yourself in the arms of a new environment
Traveling to a country where you don’t know the laws, culture, people, etc. enriches you gently. Being submerged in a culture to which I am completely foreign to introduced me to a vastly different lifestyle that I grew in love with in a matter of eight days. For example, living in the U.S. had never taught me the value of history. In Europe, everyone knows their history because all the buildings are historical monuments. The architecture is so different from the architecture in America. It gave me a new appreciation for their culture. It is something Americans are not remotely accustomed to. I mean, if you ask a typical American what years a major war was, most people would not be able to give you an answer.
In Europe, most people know the exact dates the Kings and Queens reigned, the lifespan of historical figures, how long every building has been around, etc. This is one of the key components of Europe that completely captivated me. People CARE about their history, which is the main reason European countries have such distinct cultures. Although the architecture in Europe captivated me, the food is also extremely different. Some foods were better than others, I must say. But experiencing food other than what I am used to was also an eye-opening experience. Living in a new environment, even though it only lasted a week, allowed me to gain a new perspective on life I would have never experienced if I never left America.
4. You learn to value little things
Traveling to a new place and living out of a suitcase is a lesson on its own. Growing up in America, we get used to our technologically advanced culture. We have certain expectations to be met and are a very privileged country. Sometimes we get lost in our lives and forget that a majority of the world doesn’t have access to our daily amenities. Traveling to a new country that doesn’t have the same resources as we do really is a wake-up call that allows us to appreciate what we typically take for granted.
5. You gain an increased sense of achievement
Traveling gives people a boost in confidence because there is so much of the country we are trying to see in such a short amount of time. We want to do all the touristy things but also have the chance to explore the other parts of Europe that aren’t so mainstream. We get so much done in so little time that it gives us in increased sense of achievement. By traveling, a lot of things get checked off our bucket lists and that is always such a wonderful feeling.
6. It helps prioritize
Because there is not a ton of time to see all the things we want to see or do all the things we want to, it helps us prioritize what the most important things are. On my trip, everything was planned out so we didn’t exactly have to worry about scheduling each day. But, it did give me a sense of the most important places to hit at our travel destinations.
7. You learn to have patience
Nothing in life ever goes as planned, even when you are on vacation. I got lost multiple times in Europe and had to learn to adjust and cope with my situation. Other members of the group got left behind at certain points and it held up the group at times; but it taught me to be patient. Being in a different country forces patience on you because you don’t know where you are going, you have to wait around for the Tube or Metro to get to each destination, you have to plan out where you want to go according to everyone’s desires on the trip, etc. You learn to wait patiently for things to get back in order because when you are traveling, nothing ever goes entirely fault free.
8. Unplugging from social media is one of the greatest opportunities
When I first got to Europe, I had no access to any data on my cell phone and no access to Wi-Fi. It was such a change from my daily life where I am constantly checking in on some social media platform or keeping in the loop through texts or calls. Traveling is one of those rare occurrences where being on your phone should not be on your daily list of to-dos. Although it was a tough adjustment at first, I am glad I was removed from the Internet, text messages and phone calls. At the time, nothing was more important than just living in the moment, especially since it was my first time traveling to Europe and I was living my lifelong dream. By not having access to anything on my phone, it allowed me to focus on what I was doing and making the most of my trip.
9. The importance of living in the moment
As a college student, I am always focusing on the future. I am always thinking about what else to put on my resume, what jobs to apply for, upcoming projects, how to manage my time for the week/month, what will happen after I graduate, etc. Traveling let me live in the moment. I wasn’t wondering what I was going to do when I got back to the states. I was only thinking about the food I was eating at the time, the beauty of each building I was in, the interesting conversations I was having with people, and how to get around the city. For the first time in a long time, I was only focused on what was happening here and now. It was such a wonderful breath of fresh air. Even though it was hectic at times, it was exhilarating and refreshing to simply enjoy the present moment.
10. We are all similar yet so different
There are obvious differences between people living in different places. People speak different languages, have varying values, have distinct accents, experience different foods, and are a product of unique cultures. Although people have a lot of differences, there are things that connect us all, no matter what part of the world we live in. We may have very different lifestyles, but we all have one goal in common: happiness. We all want to be successful, have good jobs, make an impact on the world and just be happy. No matter what language or cultural barrier there may be, this is the one thing that connects all parts of the world together.
11. I’m beyond lucky to have the problems I have
Exploring different parts of Europe made me realize humbleness is a great quality to have. The things we complain about in America are part of the main reason why a lot of other countries hate us. While we may complain about a bad haircut, a dent in our cars, bad weather at times, our laws, etc., there are much greater problems in the world. Our first-world problems make other people scoff and laugh at us. What we consider problems are really a part of our advantages as a country. Traveling to places that have much more dangerous and pressing issues made me realize I am lucky to be complaining about the things I have issues with.
12. There’s no place like home
Europe is such a beautiful place. The incredible cultures they have along with the beautiful architecture made me want to live there for a while. However, I cannot tell you how relieving it felt to finally come back home. I finally had access to the food I wanted to eat, could finally sleep in my own bed in my own home with controlled temperatures, and had access to all the amenities I was used to having. Although I definitely want to go back and experience more of Europe, there really is no place like home. Americans take for granted how great we really have it here in the states.
My trip to Europe was a dream come true. I have always wanted to travel and after working for many years and saving up money, I finally got the chance to live out a lifelong dream. And the best part of it all: I got to do it with one of my best friends.
Without her, this trip would not have been nearly as fun. Traveling is something everyone should do whether it is with or without someone; but having someone by your side to share it with makes for all the better experience. Even though I was extremely jet lagged for the majority of the trip and the weather could have been better (but I chose to travel during the winter), the life experience I gained from this trip is priceless. My travel group was awesome, my tour guide was amazing and my perspective is forever changed. I cannot wait to embark on the next adventure and see what else Europe has to offer!
