I have been blessed to be able to travel to multiple countries across the globe, which is something that I have never taken for granted. Being able to experience a culture outside of your own allows you to gain a new perspective on life that you may not have been exposed to prior.
The United States is considered to be one of the greatest countries in the world because of the supposed liberty that every citizen has to express themselves and to have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That concept is not something that is seen as a given right to other countries though, and you cannot fully appreciate that until you have been to a country other than your own. I'm not saying that you have to go to a country suffering from poverty or political turmoil and corruption, in fact, that would actually be very ill-advised, but I do think that it is important that every person is given the opportunity to experience a community outside of their own to gain that sense of global perspective.
A lot of the countries that I have had the privilege to visit are some of the most beautiful places in the world, and from the outside may seem like paradise, but when you actually get the chance to interact with the locals you get to hear the inside scoop of what is actually going on. Whether you travel for leisure, work, school, history, or adventure, I think that it is really important to interact with the native people of the country to learn what it is really like to live there.
A lot of nicer resort locations and hot vacation spots are so nice because tourism is the countries main source of income. Unlike in the U.S. where you see a whole bunch of people doing almost any profession you can think of and education being a nonthought for some and a most preferred way to success, a lot of countries view education as a privilege and don't have a huge variety of jobs to work. There is not a lot of people who grow up with wealth and can rely on that, they have to work hard every day to earn their pay and make a living. I think that going abroad has really humbled me and made me thankful for all that I have, and the fact that I live in a place where I can be successful, and that I have parents who worked hard to so that I could live my best life.
Maybe take second this week to think about what you're thankful for, and remember, when you feel like your life is in shambles, there is always somebody who is in a far worse situation than you.
