Two weeks after I graduated from high school, I got to go on my first trip outside of the country. My school held their own trip to a different place every year, and this time it was to Peru. Peru was where The Emperor's New Groove took place, so of course I had to go.

As soon as we landed in Peru, I noticed a complete difference in the culture. Everything was so packed and busy, from the airport to the roads. Everyone there also has more compassion towards others. People were more than willing to help out the dumb Americans that had no idea what they were doing. It's sad to say, but many people in the U.S. have the "every man for himself" mentality.

The first day of the trip consisted of sightseeing around Lima. I had seen so many different things on the first day that I could have never imagined. The architecture was absolutely breathtaking. You become so accustomed to hearing about U.S. history that you often times forget that many other places have been around a lot longer than your own country. Lima itself had a civilization there thousands of years before Francisco Pizarro made it the capital of Peru in 1535, the Mayflower never even reached America until 1620. Lima had beautiful cathedrals and pieces of history everywhere. We actually went into a catacombs, and I thought that was just something that was in movies. I was so out of touch with the history of other places.

There were markets everywhere, so naturally we all went to shop. Everything you find in the U.S. is mass produced and all made by machines, but everyone at the markets sold things that they put their soul into. I knew enough Spanish to ask one of the vendors about the scarves he was selling, and he told me that his family had been making them for as long as he could remember, kind of like a family business. In the U.S. most people go to college to then get a job and work to support themselves, so it's eye opening to see that most people in Peru just go into their family business, even if that's just making and selling scarves.

Every vendor was so grateful for you even taking the time to make conversation with them. They didn't even care that you didn't speak any Spanish, they appreciated your effort. This was how they made their living, and they were fine with you just giving them attention. Many people in the states get mad at you for wasting their time and not buying anything. These were genuinely kind people. I had bought a beautiful handmade blanket from a woman, and I had told her to keep the change. She immediately broke out in tears and was hugging and thanking me. In return, she gave me a keychain she had made. It was in that moment when I realized that I was in a place that where the people were grateful for everything that was given to them, even if it was something small. I'm extremely guilty of not saying thank you enough to the people that are close to me, and this woman was being grateful to a complete stranger. I wish everyone had the opportunity to experience something like this firsthand.

Everyone that went on this trip had brought a bag of school supplies to take to a local school and divide out to a classroom of children. As soon as I walked into the classroom, I noticed something odd; there was no teacher in sight and all of the children were sitting politely at their tables. Have you ever seen a classroom of children be calm when there was no adult supervision? Our tour guide had informed us that all of the teachers were on strike to protest their low wages, so they just stopped showing up to school entirely. These children were ages 5 to about 12, and they brought themselves to school and let themselves into the classroom, all without being told to do so. I know that when I was their age, I would've never gone to school if my mom had not made me. Not only that, but these children were so ecstatic about receiving school supplies. You usually see kids get excited about getting an Xbox or a bike, not about getting pencils and scissors. These kids had smiles from ear to ear and were thanking us over and over. A little girl had received a coloring book and crayons, and she handed me a crayon and asked me to color with her without even thinking. This girl had just been given something and didn't even hesitate to share it with me. I know that when I was a kid, I didn't want anyone playing with my new toys. It was in that moment when I realized that most people are incredibly selfish. If a child can share the only thing they have, then why can't adults do the same? These children were so grateful for us even showing up and playing games with them, and I can honestly say I was in tears. These children that are my sister's age made me realize that I need to be grateful for everything, because I'm so lucky for everything I have.

How many people can say that they got to see one of the seven wonders of the world? I'm honestly still in shock over the fact that I got to climb Machu Picchu. I had never even been on a real hike, and I got to climb one of the seven wonders of the world. In all honesty, I completely thought I couldn't do it. I was filled with extreme doubt about my ability to do something so extreme and out of my comfort zone, and that's exactly why I did it. I had gone my whole life letting my fears and insecurities hold me back, and it was in that moment when I decided I was done living like that. I pushed through and I climbed to the top. I thought my lungs were going to collapse, and it was exhilarating. When I got to the top, I started bawling my eyes out. I had done something I could never in my lifetime imagine doing, and it was the best feeling in the world. Machu Picchu is beautiful, and I would have missed it if I had listened to my brain. Don't let your own self hold you back from experiencing life, because that is no way to live.

Traveling to another country was the most exciting thing I had ever experienced, and I highly recommend everyone doing it at some point in their life. It is an incredible learning experience, no matter where you travel to. Don't be confined to what you're comfortable with, push yourself to experience life. I learned things that I feel were very important for me to learn as an oblivious teenager, and I feel like everyone needs to go through these lessons.