Who are you? Where do you come from? Where have you been? Where are you going?

We are influenced by the world around us. Every experience molds who we are. Every life we encounter impacts ours in some way. Every place we go alters where we are going. Every sight we see makes us understand beauty in new ways.

There is nothing like walking through a foreign city by yourself and absorbing every intricacy of a time, place and people. You are in control of where you are going. You understand that it is up to you to find your way through the world 10,000 miles away from mom and dad. It may be scary at first. You don’t know what the traffic signs say. You don’t know who you can talk to if you get lost. You don’t have cell service with Google Maps. All you have is a backpack, a folded map in your pocket and a hunger for exploration and understanding.

You take several loops around the city you just landed in 45 minutes ago and realize you are going in circles. You duck into that small café you have passed by three times and find a table in the corner. You feel homesick and wonder; “Will I ever get home again? Will I find my hostel? Will I even be able to order a coffee (or beer) and figure out where I am?” A tear breaks free and rolls down your face. “What are you doing?” you ask yourself. “You came here for a reason.” You get up and order that coffee (or beer).

Your first interaction in a new country is a success. Through an exchange of partially broken languages and pointing, you get what you need. And that is just what you need. You throw your beverage of choice back and leave a few coins on the table as a tip. You power walk out the door with your eyes wide and an uncontrollable grin on your face.

You step onto the cobblestone road with a new found courage and excitement for the world. “I can do this.” In front of you is an info stand with maps for sale. You saunter over with a smile and the proprietor smiles back and asks you something in their native language. Uh oh. Your smile vanishes because you realize you have no idea what they are asking (probably just hello, how can I help you). They realize that you are a traveler and repeat themselves in a heavily accented English. You smile again because you are relived to be able to speak with someone and because of the delightful spirit you have encountered. You manage to respond with a friendly phrase you learned before arriving and then ask for a map.

The exchange goes well. They even show you where you are on the map so you can planning your route. You make your way around the city finding cathedrals and history on every corner. Every sight, so old, yet so new to you. You have your camera. You document your findings. Every moment a new rush of something you have never felt before. Wanderlust grips us. People inspire us and places engulf us in waves of wonder and curiosity.

Walking down the narrow residential streets of a city only to find a market thriving with locals, vendors and food and craft you have never seen before. You want to buy and try everything. You want to take things home to give to your loved ones at Christmas time. Oh, how you wish they could be there to experience it with you. Yet, at the same time, you are happy to be on your own. You are independent. You are free. You are in control of your life. You are not concerned with pleasing anyone or worrying about the drama of other people’s lives. You understand that there is so much more to life than that.

Clarity creeps into your mind and you are seeing life unaided for the first time. For once, no one is telling you what to think or how to act. You just go, do and see, and think, and feel. You are becoming your own person. So unique, yet to connected to everyone around you because you are a human being surrounded by other human beings, so unique yet so alike.

There is no better way to become who we are destined to be than by unlatching the shackles of comfort and stepping out into a brave new world. There is so much to be learned. Outside of home, there are millions of lives to be touched by. Ways of thinking that you have never imagined before and enlightenment that comes only from stepping into the unknown.

Not only do you understand other people and places, you understand yourself. You become aware of your own way of thinking and recognize the strengths and drawbacks of how you operate.

Wars are fought because people don’t understand each other. When people don’t understand each other, they know not the methods or the reasons of the other’s decisions. They know only themselves.

Language is often the biggest barrier between cultures. When people can’t communicate or understand each other, it is easier to fight than to have peace. Even something as simple as the processing of ideas and converting them into words is different across different cultures. In French, to say “I am 22 years old” One would say “J’ai vingt-deux ans.” This translates directly to “I have 22 years.” It is in these small details that make people think and understand things in different ways.

What is often the biggest barrier between cultures also has the potential to create the most magnificent creations. Innovations come from people thinking differently. If the whole world could come together to understand one another, our level of thinking and understanding would increase beyond what most of us could have ever thought possible. Establishing a love for our brothers and sisters across the pond, to our north, south, east and west could end many of the conflicts that are fought in this world.

It is the responsibility of every person to experience as much as they can. For their love for the world will grow and an understanding of people will flourish into a loving adoration for spreading good to every life they touch. Let’s take back this world and make it about people again. We are so caught up in the unnecessary things that distract us every day that we are missing opportunities to experience the wonder that is this good earth.