In my many conversations with other college students, one of the topics that comes up the most is their experiences while traveling abroad. Many consider it the best time of their lives and something they want to do again and again. There has to be something so attracting and fulfilling about traveling abroad, so what is it?

I have only ever traveled to Mexico, but even in Mexico I had a great time experiencing the culture and the beauty of a different way of life. One reason to travel abroad would be to observe the different ways of living and the food that people eat. For example, in Spain the way of living is different from how people live in the U.S. In Spain, people take long naps throughout the day and eat in huge banquets. I would much prefer that way of living than getting up at eight everyday and getting back home at night. In Mexico, the kids work with their parents in the shops and learn how to bake bread or cook food. In my opinion, this is a beautiful way of life where the entire family works as one to maintain a good life. Seeing how people live their lives and entering into that different way of life is beautiful and eye-opening.

Another reason for traveling abroad is the food. You cannot experience a culture without trying the delicacies they eat everyday. Once again using the example of Spain, paella is a very common dish that consists of yellow rice seasoned with saffron and an abundance of seafood integrated within the tasty rice. If you ever travel to Spain, Paella is something you cannot miss out on. Tasting different foods and trying out different diets throughout the world may cause you to never want to return to your previously known diet again. One diet that is well known and practiced throughout Europe is the Mediterranean diet, which consists of fish, pasta, vegetables, and a lot of olive oil. Trying out different diets could lead to a healthier lifestyle or serve as another eye opening experience to different lifestyles.

If not for the food, or for the lifestyle, you should travel abroad for the sightseeing. Exiting the same view of city and suburbs to experience the beauty of lush grasslands and stark white mountaintops just clears the mind and fulfills the soul. Nature is not the only beauty offered by traveling abroad, but the architecture as well. One of the most common pictures of Greece is the picture of white houses with blue domes, next to a beautiful seaside view of the Mediterranean(By the way this is Santorini Island in Greece). Imagine not looking through the screen, but rather seeing it with your own eyes and being able to look at it with a 360 degree view. Beauty is everywhere when you travel abroad, not just in the food or lifestyle, but also in the landscape and architecture.

Traveling and getting out into the world is a great experience, not just because of the escape from common life, but because of the differences in food and lifestyle. If you ever have the chance to travel abroad, please do. It may amount to be the greatest experience in your life.