My name is Graciela Medina. I’m a sophomore at Florida State, and I believe it’s okay to blow all your paychecks on traveling! In the past year, I have traveled to California, Italy, Greece, Idaho and Texas. In March I will be going to Costa Rica, and, in the summer, I will once again go to California and Colombia. Traveling is extremely valuable in my opinion and anyone who has the resources to do so should jump at it. I feel so enamored with life and the world while I am out on an adventure learning new things. Here are some of the reasons why I love traveling so much, even if it leaves my pockets screaming in agony.
One of my absolute favorite things about traveling is getting to meet new people and having the opportunity to learn about their ways of life. The ways we live here in America are completely different from the other places across the world. For instance, when I went to Italy, we were surprised to find that a lot of stores and places closed by 5:30 p.m. After speaking to a local, they explained that this is a practice done so that people could go home and have time with their families. It was so interesting to see how their culture treated work in such a different way. In America, it seems as if your life is your work. You live to work. Meanwhile, in Italy, you live your life and work is something you do on the side! Learning these differences in culture are not only eye-opening, but inspiring! It makes you admire other countries and their people, something I think many don’t tend to do daily.
Traveling to foreign places also connects you with people. Living in America can make you blind or apathetic to the struggles of people you don’t see. However, traveling can give you that knowledge and connection to those you may not meet frequently. In our society, the humanities, where you learn about other cultures and how to respect them, aren’t as valued as the STEM areas. Therefore, I feel it is our responsibility to learn about different cultures, their people, their way of life and become more empathetic people. I wholeheartedly believe that if we made the effort to travel and learn about others, we would not have as many conflicts in the world as we do.
Furthermore, traveling allows you to grow closer with those that go with you. There is nothing like sharing a beautiful view with someone you love or being able to reminisce about the funny memories you had. For instance, my mom and I got food poisoning while on our cruise in Greece. Although it wasn’t funny at the time, we look back at how awful we felt and laugh about it. Meanwhile, my aunt and uncle were staying at the hotel where a high-profile murder had just occurred the day before. Traveling gives you all these bizarre stories that will always be with you. Being in a foreign place together can also really reveal the positive and negative sides of a person. By the end of my trips, I always feel a closer connection to my friends and family because I can see every side of them. You’ll see how they act under stressful situations like getting lost and you’ll also feel extremely grateful to be going through mishaps together.
You also get to see some amazing, beautiful things that others may not be able to see. What could possibly beat that? There’s only so much time to see the amazing sights in the world! In my short nineteen years, I have seen beautiful mountain tops with crystal snow, clear blue beaches in Greece, the Colosseum in Italy and more. These are sights that I know I am beyond fortunate to have been able to see. They are beautiful views that make me appreciate life and the beauty of what can be made of it. Plus, they give you footage so that you can make cute vacation vlogs with your friends like this one we made here. As my friends and I say, there is a possibility the world is going to turn to waste before we’re old so what’s the point in saving your money right now? We’ll worry about it when we’re older. Get out there and explore while you still can!
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