If you have ever taken a trip you can probably agree that it changed you in some way. Traveling has this way of renewing our perspective on life, it helps us to discover parts of ourselves we did not know before. Experiencing new cultures and seeing new sites can push us to our limits, give us more compassion and empathy, and a better understanding of the world around us.

It is not only international trips that do this; even within our own country, there are many different cultures. Traveling to a different part of the country can teach you many new things just like traveling to another country would.

Travelling across the United States and to other countries around the world opened my eyes to many cultures, people, and ways of life different than my own. After living my whole childhood in the suburbs of Chicago, it helped me to get out and meet people who lived and believed differently than I did. It is much easier to judge people who are different when you have not met them for yourself and allowed yourself to step into their world and see things the way they do.

After experiencing so many different cultures, the world became less black and white for me; we are all just people each with our own unique experiences and perspectives. I may not agree with everything each person believes, but by listening to them I can learn so much.

Many people who have traveled can agree that it changes you. Each trip and experience will grow you in new ways. By getting to know others, you also understand yourself better. When you are in new environments and challenged in new ways, you discover strengths and passions you never knew you had.

Going to Barbados, I discovered my love for the ocean and eating fish, and how much that sense of adventure excited me. In Thailand, I began a habit of drinking tea daily and I experienced for myself the value of family and being hospitable. Even little experiences from traveling can change you forever.

Through traveling, I pushed my limits and overcame fears. I rock climbed and challenged my fear of heights at a camp in Wisconsin, I rode rollercoasters for the first time in Pennsylvania, I overcame my fear of deep water when snorkeling in the Bahamas, I jumped off a fifteen-foot rock into a waterfall in Hawaii, and I rode a motorbike all over Phuket Thailand.

Travelling got me to try many new foods, to go places I would never have imagined, and experience things I never dreamed I would. I am thankful for each unique experience and how traveling has helped me overcome fears one step at a time.

Traveling also has a way of drawing you closer to those you travel with. I made new friends every trip I went on. When you are with someone for days or weeks experiencing all new things with them, you often get closer.

My husband and I have grown closer and learned so much about each other through each trip we have taken together. We share each adventure and challenge and memory, which has a way of connecting us.

I am the person I am today because of the trips I went on. If you have not traveled much, I encourage you to try it, go somewhere new, challenge yourself, experience new things, and see how it changes you. By staying in one place all of our lives we can miss out on so many great experiences and the ways we can grow as people.

When you do take a trip be open, try new things, listen and learn from the people you meet and embrace the challenges because they will grow you as a person if you let them. The world is so much bigger than the little bubbles we are used to. Get out and experience it.