Learn From Traveling

Education is critical to advancing in life, whether that be academically or professionally. The way people learn, solve problems and develop mentally can be traced to their education. However, educational systems and methodologies can vary from country to country. 

For example, in Japan most schools do not employ janitors or custodians, but let the students clean their school themselves. Children in Holland start school the day they turn four, which means there’s always someone new in class. Brazilian students will usually leave school around noon, so they can go home and eat lunch with their family. So, it’s very easy to see that education can look very different around the world. 

When most people think about education they usually picture a school building, classroom full of students and a teacher. However, education goes further than a school’s walls. Children learn from the lessons their parents teach them. Teenagers are educated about societal norms and expectations through their friends and social media. Young adults are taught valuable life lessons from managers in jobs and potential romantic partners. As a young adult a lot of my education has come from traveling to different countries in Latin America. 

Comfort Zone 

Traveling can help you grow as person because it forces us to get outside our comfort zone. The comfort zone can include your group of friends, air condition, mother’s cooking, pets, bed, steady internet and so on and so forth. When we are forced to deal with situations that we are not accustomed to we can gain new skills by trying to overcome the challenges. 

Some challenges in traveling include different language, food, customs, manners and so much more. Learning a new way of life can be difficult, because of how your home country molded your thoughts on life. 

For example sometimes it can be difficult for Western women to understand why some women in the Middle East cover themselves completely in black when they go outside. Sometimes it’s difficult for people in Europe to be sensitive to the struggle of race relations in the United States today, because those problems may not exist in their country. 

However, getting out of the comfort zone and overcoming these types of challenges is important because we can gain new skills and appreciation for people in other countries. 

Languages 

Apart of traveling to different countries is experiencing new languages. For some people this can be the most difficult part of traveling, because of the inability to communicate with others around them. This is why it’s so important to practice common languages such as English, Spanish, French and others. 

Physiological studies have shown  that speaking two or more languages is a great asset to the cognitive process. The brains of bilingual people operate differently than single language speakers and these differences offer several mental advantages such as build multitasking skills, improves memory and listening skills. 

In my own experience I have had to practice my Spanish in real life situations. At times I feel overwhelmed because I did not study Spanish diligently in school, so I do not know all the grammar and different intricacies of the language. However, through perseverance I have gotten to a level of Spanish that I can have a general conversation and have intimate friendships. 

Curiosity and Discovery

Traveling can open your mind to different qualities in life such as food, history and music. Sometimes when people stay in one community they may have a lack of curiosity for what’s beyond their city limits. However, it’s important to turn curiosity into discovery by venturing out into new territory.  

Learning firsthand about different cultures creates a more impactful educational experience. Whether it be for university, a job or personal desire, traveling creates a passion to know and grow more as a human being.