I am incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel so extensively in my past. I find I constantly catch myself daydreaming about bygone experiences of traveling.

As I reflect, I have come to realize how valuable my travels have been.

I wish to share some of what I have learned through traveling and make the case of why college students should seek out travel opportunities as much as possible.

I grew up in a family that loved to travel. My parents took every opportunity to travel somewhere during school breaks and summer.

After graduating from high school, a good friend of mine and I decided we wanted to take a backpacking trip through Europe. In our youthful exuberance, we had grand visions of European clubbing, historic monuments, unique cultural exposure and, of course, countless adventures, all of which would be lubricated with plenty of alcohol since we would be of legal age.

I always thought a trip such as this would be merely relaxing and altogether fun. What I did not realize is how much I would learn from my travels.

I learned about many dynamic cultures. I got to try wine from Spain, France and Italy and learn to recognize the intricacies and differences of the different wine regions. I experienced how dinner time meals are long, intimate, and carried out late into the night.

My trip also taught me to think creatively and approach problems with critical thinking. For instance, when we arrived in Madrid, we became disoriented trying to find a hostel. Eventually, we found our way, but we had to deal with frustration and needed to think outside the box.

Traveling forces awkward and uncomfortable situations. It is inevitable that unforeseen events will arise that requires you to step out of your comfort zone.  Learning from these types of events can help our careers and personal lives in the future.

I have learned many valuable things from traveling. Traveling offers experiences that can simply never come about in the traditional classroom.

As college students we are at a unique time in which traveling is absolutely imperative.

We are young, open-minded and ready for adventure. Traveling will reinforce what we are learning in the classroom and help to provide us with a more diverse outlook.

As the world society becomes increasingly globalized, it is essential we cultivate diverse understandings of foreign cultures. The best way to do this is through extensive travel.

I realize traveling is both incredibly expensive and challenging. Most college students are laden with imminent debt from loans and the many costs of attending college.

But, there are endless opportunities for traveling, and it can be done in efficient and cost effective ways. Even traveling within our own borders can be incredibly rewarding and much cheaper compared to international travel.

So as many of us begin to decide what to do over our breaks and summers, I think traveling should be considered. Find a way to make it happen and go some place that seems appealing. I can guarantee you’ll learn something new about yourself and your destination.

The world awaits, so set out and explore it.

Collin Mummery is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].