Home > Travel > Travel Planning & Advice
Should travelers explore their home country first or travel abroad as often as they can?
Results so far:
| Home | 56% | 790 votes | Total: 1403 votes | |
| Abroad | 44% | 613 votes |
Home
by Effie Moore Salem
Created on: July 17, 2007 Last Updated: February 03, 2012
Visiting the Berkshires in the summertime, sunning and lounging at the Keys in south Florida in winter, or some other place close to home is far a better idea for vacationing. If you happen to live in the United States, that is. But truthfully, go where your heart desires to go. If you have an opportunity to travel to Europe, take it. Another chance may never present its self.
The idea is to see and learn your own country first and then see the others. That's logical, but travel isn't exactly the most logical thing going. Staying put and taking care of matters at home is logical. Yet, there are exceptions, even to logic. As already said, if a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself to study in London, to sing in Paris, or to visit friends in India, or just go to visit grandma in Italy. Go. If you don't you may live to regret it.
It all depends. But before you just pack up and go to any of these places, learn about them first. Know something of their history, what their best features are, how best to approach them, and how to be courteous and friendly. To blindly travel without at least a few expectations or adventures to look forward is, at best, taking a chance on never wanting to go there again. Often, the best vacations are the places close to hand that others from distant places travel to see. You, being so near, yet so far away, have no idea what the fascination is.
If undecided, draw a circle on a map, the cente radiating to only an hour's drive in each distance. Check to see how many places you hae never visited. This could prove to be an exceptional and an affordable vacation. Stay at home and go somewhere new each day. Enlist friends and carpool. Think of the fun you could have and the money you could save by pick-nicking on some days when good eating places are not guranteed.
Whatever, have fun, and deposit the money in a savings account for that vacation of a lifetime one of these days. That way you will feel you're finally treating yourself to that long desired trip and expense will be no worry. That is you will not be running up debt and and your credit card managers will be basking in the sun at your expense.
Whether one travels far or near, it matters little. What does matter is varying your habits from time to time and giving yourself a refreshing change. even if you're stuck at home because of illness or the illness of another, for lack of money, or whatever. even thinking about traveling to a far off country is good. One good way of doing that is signing on to Netflix and and for a mere fee of less than ten dollars you can tour the world and never leave your living room.
Learn more about this author, Effie Moore Salem.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Abroad
by Akua Hinds
Created on: May 21, 2011
One of my earliest memories is of me and my family traveling from Canada, where I was born and raised, to visit my parents’ family members living in the Caribbean, where they were born and raised. I had not yet started kindergarten but I remember enjoying flying on an airplane and the joy that comes from being in a warm and tropical climate during the Christmas season. The following year, my family and I traveled to the Caribbean again and I have continued to travel to the Caribbean and to other destinations throughout my life. I have traveled to some parts of Canada but it is not my priority to explore much more of my huge and diverse home country at this stage of my life because I figure that I should explore as much of the world as possible while I am still young and before traveling costs get too expensive.
Each country has different entry requirements for visitors and it makes sense to me to travel to other countries that welcome Canadian citizens and don’t give us a hassle to visit there. Unlike in other countries, traveling across Canada does not require that I use a passport or that I meet certain health or financial standards to be allowed entry, so, my home country will always be there to explore more when I choose to. For now, it is important to me to travel abroad and learn more about the world through real experiences rather than through textbook experiences. But, enough about me! Here are some reasons why YOU should travel abroad as often as you can:
Empathy and understanding
It is easy to become accustomed to your own lifestyle and forget that there are people living in other parts of the world who do not have the same luxuries that you have. Traveling abroad will help you gain perspective and appreciation for your own lifestyle and the daily struggles and joys that other people face simply because of where they live. Reading articles and watching news stories about other nations will not give you a true sense of what life is like in other places. The only way to learn about a different country is to travel there and experience it for yourself.
Discovering what you like
It might not even occur to people living in countries where there are four seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn, that they have other options for how and where they want to live. Cold winter weather is very unhealthy and more people are prone to getting sick during winter time because the weather is not agreeable. Traveling abroad shows people that there are other ways to live and that it is possible to live in countries where the weather is warm all year round.
Meeting people
Billions of people live on planet earth and traveling is the only way to truly “meet” someone who you never would have known had you not traveled abroad. Meeting and befriending strangers on Facebook is not the same as meeting someone face to face. As more and more people find love from dating websites, it is not uncommon to make a connection with someone who lives in a different country from your own. Traveling to meet a new love interest is a great way to explore the world and start an exciting new relationship.
With the popularity and availability of many frequent flyer mile programs and traveler point programs, traveling is more achievable for people living in the western world than it ever was before. Is Italian pizza truly the best tasting pizza in the world? Travel to Italy and find out! Are hotels more convenient than hostels? Traveling abroad and testing them out will give you a better idea than reading hotel and hostel reviews. Traveling abroad can help to dispel prejudices and myths you have about other people and places that you may have “heard” about but have never actually seen firsthand. Traveling abroad is one of the best ways to learn about the world around you and appreciate what you have and what others have.
Learn more about this author, Akua Hinds.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Write and get published
Share with other writers
Polish your freelancing skills
Quality articles from proven freelancers
Exclusive rights, fast turnaround
Brand engagement, business blogging -- our writers do it all
INFORMATION
Copyright © 2002-2012 Helium, Inc. All rights reserved.
Helium.com: A Service of RR Donnelley