Recently while on vacation I was thinking about how fortunate I was to be abroad for many reasons. Of course I was grateful to be laying on the beautiful beaches of Southern France and exploring the narrow, bustling alleys of Italy, but traveling offers so much more than vacation destinations. Especially while young, the abundance of traveling opportunities should be taken advantage of for many reasons.

1. Culture

Traveling gives you a taste of the amazing cultures and different styles of life that others live in the new places you visit. Along with learning something, you may pick up on a habit or activity you want to bring home with you.

2. Appreciation

There is so much to be thankful for in life and the opportunities while traveling give us the chance to be a bit more grateful for many things. Just the opportunity to experience new things and see new sites is enough to be grateful for. It also allows us to meet new people and try new things but at the end of a time away from home, there are things we may appreciate a little extra from our own home while we were gone.

3. Food

Trying new foods has got to be one of my favorite parts about traveling. The ingredients, recipes, flavors, and cultures of foreign foods are never ending and amazing.

4. Memories

Whether you're traveling alone, with friends, or family; the memories created and stories you come home with are something you cannot find within driving distance of home.

5. History

Some things you'll just never learn by reading out of a textbook. To see and learn history from the sites where famous historical events occurred is an awesome experience.

6. Opens your eyes

Despite how we tend to operate our lives, the world exists beyond our what happens within the vicinity of our own worlds.

7. See phenomenal things

Cameras and photos cannot capture all the amazing places and sites there are to see around the world. Whether man-made or purely nature, the earth has an abundance of breathtaking things to see.

8. Home Sweet Home

At the end of all the traveling and adventuring, when you’re finally home you just might see it in a different light