The Value of Travel
Travel can be an education in itself. Note what the magazine Awake! said in its June 22, 1996 article entitled Are You Ready for a Vacation?
“Seventeenth-century English physician and writer Thomas Fuller wrote: ‘He that travels much knows much.’ Travel allows us to get acquainted with people from other places, to learn about their customs and their way of life. Traveling in countries that have living standards lower than our own can teach us to be grateful for what we have and can awaken in us feelings of empathy for people less fortunate than ourselves.
If we let it, travel can correct misconceptions and allay prejudices. It provides an opportunity to learn firsthand at least a little bit of a new language, to try out dishes that may delight our palate, or to enhance our family photograph album, slide collection, or video library with examples of the beauties of God’s creations.
Of course, to benefit the most, we must do more than just travel. The tourist who travels halfway around the world only to hole up in a hotel among fellow tourists — many of them his own countrymen — to swim at the hotel’s private pool or beach, and to eat the same food he has at home will learn little. What a pity! According to reports, a majority of travelers apparently fail to take a serious interest in the countries that they visit or in the people there.”
So explore the natural wonders of the world, the diverse wildlife, the unique cultures and make new friends. While doing so, perhaps you will experience visiting spectacular places and enjoy memory making activities! Discover new landscapes, mountain ranges, deserts, coasts, jungles, forests, cities, traditional villages and learn new local cultures.
