About eight years ago my dad set a goal for my family: to travel to new locations every year, until my brother and I grew up and moved out.
Now, as a college freshman, I can look back and say that my dad succeeded at obtaining this goal. Since I was in 6th grade, he has planned well thought out trips, across the United States, Canada, and a few European countries.
I am so thankful for his ambition to travel and plan activities and destinations, otherwise I would have missed out on so many amazing opportunities that have helped to shape me into who I am today. Traveling has not only provided me with fun experiences and memories, but it has also taught me so much about the world around me. I cannot stress enough how important traveling is, even if it is a simple day trip to the beach, or a week-long trip to somewhere you have never been before.
Before my family started our yearly destination trips, we were a stereotypical central Pennsylvanian family, putting all our vacation days towards a week-long trip to Ocean City, Maryland. It was fun, yet chaotic, since we would go with my extended family as well. Eventually, those trips began to feel monotonous, as it was the same place and the same activities every year: wake up, get ready, go to the beach, take a shower, go out to dinner on the boardwalk, go to sleep.
As the years went on, the family beach trip eventually became full of tensions between family members, causing the novelty of these trips to wear off. I still enjoyed going to the beach and seeing family members, who I rarely saw, but many people began to grow tired of these trips.
When we began to cut those trips down in length, and instead go on trips exclusively for my family of four, I was extremely excited. Our first destination trip was to New England. We drove from Pennsylvania to Maine, stopping in different states along the way. In Maine, we stayed in a cabin in the woods and took in a secluded lifestyle.
The next year, we went to Canada, saw Niagara Falls, and stayed in a cabin in Ontario. I was only in eighth grade at that time, but I can still clearly remember how intrigued I was to learn that some Canadians spoke French, and that they sold water in cartons, rather than bottles.
Although that is an obscure fact, traveling outside of the country was still such an amazing experience and learning opportunity. I was able to see more of the world, see famous landmarks and areas, and interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures than my own.
Since then, I have been to about half of the 50 US states, as well as a few countries in Europe. I feel that these trips have offered me a deeper knowledge about the world around me and how things in other places vary compared to things in the United States, or even Pennsylvania, which is what I am used to.
Traveling has taught me to be open-minded, since everyone grows up differently, has different childhoods and experiences, which shape them into who they are today. It has also provided me with a stronger appreciation for Earth and nature. I have seen varying landscapes, from the flat, rural lands in the Midwest, to large, impressive mountains in the South.
The world is full of so many different, yet beautiful places, and traveling has taught me to be more thankful for my surroundings. On top of the learning experiences, traveling has also allowed me to grow closer with my family, through our shared experiences and time stuck together driving or flying to new destinations.
Traveling is something that I will never take for granted and that I want to continue to take part in, even now as an adult, apart from my family. I want to go out of my way to see new places, meet new people, and learn new things. Seeing as many places as I can in my lifetime is a goal of mine, and I think everyone should set that goal for themselves.