How Traveling Changed my View on the World
The Importance of an Open Mind
I think it is really important to travel to form your own opinion.
All over the media in America, we see things happening in foreign countries, but we’ve never been there. So, do we really know what it’s like? While abroad, I found so many differences in the places I was visiting compared to what I had seen on my phone.
Human Connection
If you watch the news on TV and don't question it, you're missing a ton of information. I discovered that almost everything I thought I knew about the places I was visiting was false. If you get all your information from what you see on TV, good or bad, you’re narrowing your mind to a narrow and biased perspective.
I challenge you to visit a place that you’ve judged without seeing it firsthand. You’ll almost certainly find it’s nothing like the information you’ve been fed.
A perfect example of this is this YouTube series I discovered recently. It’s called “I Traveled to All 7 Continents With No Money.”
It’s about two friends from the Netherlands who one day decided to explore the globe. They didn’t have a lot of money, and so they decided they were going to travel on nothing but the kindness of others.
From selling stroopwafels in Zurich to asking restaurants for leftovers, and telling others their story, they traveled to all 7 continents and created an unforgettable experience for themselves that they get to tell the world.
Watching these episodes, I realized that genuine human connection and hospitality can defy the stereotypes we see on the news. Especially when they went to countries throughout the Middle East, which don’t have a great reputation, and received some of the most hospitable treatment they had received during their entire trip.
A lot of the people they ran into there offered them rides, a place to stay in their house, a meal, and were moved by their dream of seeing the world, and donated. One guy named Mohammed from Egypt even offered to give them a car. They had to refuse, but the principle of the thing is nothing short of insane.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
I’m sure my dad is thrilled by the subtitle of this section because he repeats this phrase to me constantly. But it’s true!
I myself have traveled to a few countries in Europe, and it is so worth it. Mind all the touristy stuff, the sightseeing, and the amazing food, the most important part was seeing another culture.
I learned that in Germany, college tuition is free to domestic AND international students. I learned that Europe has the best public transportation system in the world and that getting around is extremely easy. I learned that some of their packaged groceries have “Nutri-Score” ratings on the packaging, telling the customer how healthy they are.
One time, I only had Apple Pay at this guy’s döner kebab shop, and they didn’t have the technology to accept it. He told me just to take the food and come back and pay whenever. I came back the next day and ordered another döner and paid double + a tip, which he did not accept, no matter how many times I handed it to him. Also, döner kebab is incredible, and you need to drop everything you’re doing to go try it right now.
On my 18th birthday, I was in Berlin alone because my aunt and uncle were working during the day. I was living in their apartment, trying out for a soccer team nearby. I didn’t have training that day, so I thought I would go see some landmarks in the city. Here are some pictures of those, but the craziest things happened to me that day.
Because it was my 18th, I decided to go around and ask what I could get for free at certain places. I got a free bracelet, a currywurst, a few Starbucks drinks, and some Weiss Bier from the corner store. I played it off by saying, “I heard you guys had a special going on for 18th birthdays“ or something along those lines. Most people went along with it, and they were so kind.
I know I’m kind of dragging this now with my personal stories, but long story short, I would have never had these experiences if I hadn’t traveled. I thought Germans were rude, I didn’t know Greece had amazing pancakes, I didn’t know Venice smelled bad, and I didn’t know croissants could be so expensive like they were in cafes in France.
Why All This Matters
The point is, you don’t know what you don’t know. You don’t know what other places are like until you see them, so don’t judge what you haven’t seen.
If you read headlines without questioning them, you won’t get the whole story. If you judge things based on someone else’s perspective, you’re watching a movie and believing it’s a documentary. Let your own eyes tell you the truth.
If two broke YouTubers can circumnavigate the globe on human kindness alone, you can meet some cool people who will break your preconceptions about the country you’re visiting.
The next time you catch a scary headline about “those people,” remember it might not be what it seems. The only thing you can do is swap your TV remote for a passport and go collect the truest, yummiest, kindest, and most beautiful version of “news” that you can find.