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Add to FavoritesSo many reasons come to mind when I think of traveling in my home country before I venture abroad. Not to say that traveling abroad is not rewarding because it is indeed. But I feel it is only natural to explore your own back yard first before you run off into the unknown.
Naturally, accessibility would be the number one reason to travel in your homeland, simply because it is easier to get to some of the best scenic and renowned landmarks known to man. Traditionally, we all seem to have a sense of pride in our homeland. Ever notice how people gleam when they boast about where they're from? It is certainly a good incentive to want to know everything about where you grew up and what is around you. Practically speaking, it is easier on the budget to explore your homeland first.
Your homeland offers a wide spectrum of educational values. You are able to expand your horizons in so many ways when you are there yourself.
Geography: When you are standing at a specific site or landmark, it gives you better perspective of its location and terrain, i.e., near the sea, desert or mountains. You get a better idea of direction and geographic position that are not always clear when you see it in a book.
History: Somehow, when you can view a site or landmark with your own eyes, dates and statistics make more sense. You have an advantage in comprehending past history of events, which may have occurred in or near your hometown. History comes to life when you can witness it in person.
Cultural Background: There may be a specific custom that you have lived with your whole life and have taken for granted because you are so close to it, or even part of it. Cultural backgrounds can encompass the inhabitance and lifestyle of certain groups of people such as traditions, habits, clothing and so on.
Civil and Social Studies: Sometimes we may live in an area where people speak slightly different, but we don't recognize it as being different. For example, a child who grows up in a southern state in the U.S. may not realize that he speaks with a slight drawl because it is all he has known his whole life, but it would sound different to a tourist from another land. Another example would be religious beliefs such as Mormons and it is common knowledge that there is a huge community living in the state of Utah.
Travel in itself offers a wealth of knowledge whenever or where ever you may go. I have the highest regard for those that have the time and money to travel beyond their homelands; they are truly fortunate indeed.
I have always felt that traveling is not only a delightful way to spend your free time and see and meet a myriad of interesting places and people respectfully, but it is truly an educational experience. I was born in the heart of the Midwest, but have lived in California almost all of my life. I'm happy to say I've had the many pleasures to explore this golden state from stem to stern! San Francisco is a personal favorite of mine and it is an amazing rush to gaze at that incredible Golden Gate Bridge for the first time. Yosemite National Park is a must-see and "Half Dome" is majestic, in the true sense of the word. The San Diego Zoo is one of the finest in the nation. I could go on and on about California's delightful sights and attractions, but this article would exceed my limits of space.
Nonetheless, I couldn't leave out Las Vegas, Nevada, which has evolved, into a wonderland of sights, sounds and action, day or night! Not far from Vegas is the Boulder Dam, which is something to see. The astonishing Grand Canyon in Arizona will leave you speechless. Bryce, Zion Canyons and Monument Valley are some of the spectacular National Parks in lower Utah. When you can stand at the base of the ingeniously constructed Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, I promise you will be amazed at its vastness. You'll probably want to take the lift up to the viewpoint at the very top. Mt. Rushmore is one of the most popular landmarks in the U.S. Niagara Falls boggles the mind as you gaze at the power of the rushing waters and wonder why some people thought they could beat the odds to tumble over the thunderous falls in makeshift "coffins." What can I say that hasn't already been said about New York City! If you haven't been there, this city never sleeps; it is full of energy, excitement and a must-see city.
I know I have left out thousands of other wonderful places to go and see in the U.S., my home land, but my point is it's nice to be familiar with where you come from, where you and your family are from. Of course, there is no law that says you have to see your homeland first. I'm merely saying there's probably a lot more in your homeland to see and do than you thought.
If it is in your path or destiny to travel abroad, go for it! It is so exciting to step off that plane in another country. I cherish my memories from traveling abroad. The first time I gazed up with wide eyes at the incredible Eiffel Tower I could hardly breathe. The masterful Trevi Fountain in Rome was breathtaking, I won't forget delightful Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, The Ice Bar in Stockholm brings back happy memories, I watched the glorious Tower of London drawbridge from my hotel room, draw up and down allowing small vessels and sailboats to pass by.
There's far too many wonders in this world than seven! Whether near or far, travel is your reward.
Learn more about this author, Carole Hill.
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Abroad
Most people who enjoy traveling do so because it offers an exciting opportunity to learn and to experience new things. No one says to his family, "Why don't we pack up the car and drive fourteen hours to a place that is exactly the same as where we are now." We want to be rewarded for our efforts with something more interesting and different than our everyday lives.
The question, though, is where to begin? Should we first explore what we have in our own country, or should we travel abroad as often as possible?
There are lots of good arguments for traveling abroad as often as possible. The world is full of exciting places to see and interesting people to meet. We can learn about different cultures, and we can get new perspectives on ourselves. We can become more aware of the world around us and, in turn, be better citizens of the world.
But do the arguments for traveling abroad outweigh those for exploring your own country first?
To answer this question, let us consider the benefits of traveling abroad in relation to three common arguments used to support exploring your own country first.
These three arguments are:
(1) You should first understand who you are and where you come from before going to learn about others.
(2) You should support your country instead of spending your money abroad.
(3) It is more convenient to explore your own country first.
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(1) You should first understand who you are and where you come from before going to learn about others.
This argument seems to lend powerful support to exploring your own country before traveling abroad. The catch, though, is that you can only truly understand and appreciate who you are and where you come from by understanding how you fit into the larger world.
To clarify this concept, let us take a brief detour into the world of music. Assume you want to learn about Jazz. Most music lovers would tell you that to fully appreciate Jazz, you need a basic understanding of music in general. Only then will you be able to understand and appreciate the roots of Jazz, how Jazz relates to other types of music, and the unique contributions that Jazz makes.
Similarly, we can only fully understand ourselves when we have a basic understanding our roots, our relationship to others in the world, and the unique contributions that we make. We can gain this understanding by traveling abroad.
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(2) You should support your country instead of spending your money abroad.
Half of this argument is well founded. You should support your country. In supporting your country, though, don't make the mistake of limiting yourself solely to the argument of economics.
Think about your country's reputation.
Most of what much of the world knows about your country probably comes from movies, TV shows, news reports, and stereotypes. Most of this information, when taken on its own, is very misleading and quite unflattering.
By traveling abroad, we have the opportunity to give those in other countries a truer impression of what our country and its people are really like. We will be de facto ambassadors, and in terms of economics, our personal interaction will do more to foster goodwill than our government's donating wads of cash to their country's government could ever hope to do.
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(3) It is more convenient to explore your country first.
It is clearly more convenient to travel in your own country. You don't have to worry with problems of language (for the most part) or with currency exchange or with unfamiliar foods and customs. Of course, if your goal is convenience, the simple answer is not to travel at all. It is much more convenient to stay at home.
For a more reasonable view, though, keep in mind that the argument is not to only travel abroad, but to travel abroad as often as possible. There will be many times that constraints on time or money will preclude travel abroad.
These times provide the perfect opportunities to travel in your own country and sample the unique flavor it has to offer. And you will appreciate more the flavor of home if you have traveled abroad.
Learn more about this author, Charles Bobbitt.
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