How Other Cultures Shaped Me - DRAFT

     My mother in particular always loved to travel and go to new places, something she never really had the chance to experience as a kid with no money. She always tried to instill that same drive to experience new places in my brother and I, something that really took with me. In doing so she also taught tolerance of other people and allowed me to gain perspectives outside of my own that helps me to understand other people better.
     It’s so easy to become trapped in our small little part of the world where we wake up, come here to class, eat a lot of fast food and go to work then come home at night and watch the new episode of our favorite show and repeat this process week in and week out. Our lifestyle is very much different from many people in other parts of the world and my mother thought it important to teach that to me. Not only is it an important life lesson of sorts, it’s also very enjoyable and rewarding. I’ve always said the ultimate vacation is one where you’re put in a culture or lifestyle you’re totally unfamiliar with. Even the simplest of tasks such as walking into a café and having a cup of coffee with the local newspaper becomes almost an adventure in itself since it must be done in the local language. I find also that many people are as interested in your story as you are in theirs. It is not at all uncommon for people to ask in their sometimes broken English where I am from and if I am enjoying my time in their home. I’ve met a number of very interesting people who wanted to know more about me or sometimes they just wanted to practice their English.
At the end of the day, travel can be as much a learning experience as it is recreation, but the chance to identify with people who can be so different from you is a very rewarding experience and had a great deal of impact in how I’ve grown up, something I believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience.

BELIEF: Travel and the understanding of the culture and history of other places is very beneficial to children and teenagers growing up.