I believe that the younger you go see the world, specifically Europe, the larger of an impact it will have on the rest of your life, beneficially or not. It opens your eyes to the world you are not accustomed to and sheds light on what is happening today rather than what we were forced to “learn” in history about Napoleon being short or Hitler having the weird 'stache. Seemingly enough with that last sentence, I didn’t get much out of history classes. And, sorry mom and dad, but this is all about the positives. As the planning process of my own trip is coming along, here are five reasons why it’s good, not scary:

1. Application of that language you were forced to learn in high school. Three full years, and all I know how to say is, “Hi, where is the bathroom?” High schools all around the United States require at least one year of a foreign language, if not more. Europe, of all places, is probably the best to let your exploration roam free because it puts you at ease to practice with the comfort of at least someone knowing a little English to help you out when you get stuck. Roughly 51% of Europeans speak little to fluent English, which makes failing an option. Mistakes and getting embarrassed are the easiest ways to learn what to not say out loud. I’ll never forget when I accidentally said, “Do me,” in my high school French class, and for the benefit of the audience, I never ever let those words escape my mouth again. Also, while speaking to the locals may be intimidating with their accents you aren’t used to, they can be the most resourceful people in Europe; they can teach you some slang so it isn’t so completely obvious that you’re a tourist.
2. I can truthfully say that I nor anyone that I know is obese and shoving more McDonald's into their mouths or carrying a gun out of spite or racing in NASCAR. So if we don’t fit the European stereotypes of America, why should we assume that they fit ours of them? Stereotypes give you subconscious opinions of people that you have never even been around. They can ruin relationships before they even start, and living life this way is dangerous. Don’t believe everything the internet tells you, kids. Going to Europe and experiencing first hand that someone is rude or obsessed with soccer or drinking tea for every meal is different than experiencing it over the internet. You can see more into their life and culture which helps to explain a few more things. Needless to say, looking for stereotypes can actually broaden your cultural horizons and/or cancel out the stereotype all together.
3. The younger you are, the more information and experiences you take in. Matthew D. Lieberman, Ph.D. explains, “At some point we change. We stop learning. We move from being learners to being knowers. Strangely, being someone who ‘knows’ can interfere with being someone who ‘learns’.” Eventually, we reach a point in life where it is actually difficult for our mind to take in and store new information. Wouldn’t you want your experience in Europe to last throughout your life? As you get older, exploring and vacationing tend to reach the same definition. Don’t let your vacation be your exploration of the world, you will gain almost nothing. Consider your willingness to explore. Young and reckless is what they say about us adolescents, so why not live it out. Traveling off of the general tourist trail opens up so many more doors. A night club in Germany may seem crazy for the modern tourist, but here is where you meet people and learn so much more than you could in a hotel room face timing or sleeping.
4. Observing how others live in foreign cities, one begins to realize that in no way, shape, or form can the world revolve around them and their sole opinions. Usually, you learn this young when someone tells you, “not everything revolves around you. Think of others sometimes.” It humbles you to walk past the homeless as well as the wealthy. Here, you understand how to enjoy life with the things you have in the moment. Europe has more history than America will ever have exemplifying perfectly that the world continues to survive after death. The ruins in Rome prove that the world survived forever ago without you. Well, maybe the Roman Empire would still be here had you been born almost 2000 years ago.
5. Out of 7 billion people on this planet, who is to say that the love of my life doesn’t live overseas on another continent? Do I really need to explain this point?