"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." — Marcel Proust
Did you know that there are approximately 7.2 billion people in the world? Each of them living in 196 different countries? And each of these 196 different countries has entirely different cultures and traditions. The world is huge. Like you can’t take one breath without at least three people being born. And each and every person in this world is different and beautiful in an entirely unique way.
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I had the privilege of growing up in Chiang Mai, Thailand and then moving to America when I was older. And let me tell you, that was a culture shock. Even though I was still around some of the same people, I had to adapt to a whole other world with a new culture and different traditions. And yet, as I’ve gone to school here and established America as my home, I’ve almost forgotten about that whole other world that’s only one flight away.
We can all admit how easy it is to let time slip by and get caught up in the world around us. Go to high school, get good grades, play sports, apply for colleges, get scholarships, go to college, join clubs and organizations, get good grades, get leadership positions, *breath*, take internships, graduate, big kid job, marriage etc. And with everything on our to-do lists whirling around in our heads, we forget that we are a part of something so much bigger than just one person. Don’t get me wrong, the sights are nothing to downplay — have you seen the sheer size of Niagara Falls or the blue oceans of the Caribbean? Amazing. But without people to gaze at and admire the sights, what would the world be?
It's OK to want to travel around the world to see the seven wonders, but don’t forget to look behind those wonders to the people who live there. Learn about their cultures and traditions — how they like to spice their food, the way they express their love or the rules that their societies have, why some countries have huge celebrations for the victory of good over evil while others have celebrations for the dead. Learn to see the beauty in the fact that laughing is the same in every language and that one smile can connect you with someone you have never known before. Don’t be afraid to live in their world for a while. More often than not people are more than willing to show you their friends and country that they love so much. Part of growing as a human being is learning that you are not alone but a part of an entire human race. A race that is comprised of hearts and minds that can accomplish so much when they are put together. And you just might find that while you are learning about other people, you are also learning about yourself. After all, you can never quite understand where another person comes from until you walk in their shoes.
