"The World is SO Big."

Last semester I was working in a project for one of my journalism classes. I chose to do a piece on studying abroad, not only because it was in my future, but because I wanted the perspective of past students and how a four-month experience could literally change their life. Although I did interview some students, my favorite interview lasted about two minutes with Dr. Miller, the professor from UT who joins the students each year to teach a class on intercultural communication.

"Why would you  suggest students should study abroad?" I asked. Dr. Miller's response was short and simple. "The world is SO big..." Well, sure, I knew the world was a big place - seven continents, 196 countries, and seven billion people truly is big. So, I edited her interview and didn't think about it again until nearly a year later.

I believe that familiarity breeds contempt. If we, as humans, get into a comfortable routine, work a plain job and eat plain food, pay the bills, and simply exist, we run the risk of taking the adventure of life for granted.

In today's world, one doesn't have to go much further than Facebook to see what the weather is like in Paris, but there is a real difference in seeing it versus living it. Studying abroad shakes things up. "Where to next?" has become a common phrase for me...could I swing a trip to Malaysia? Cairns? Tasmania? Each suburb, city, country, or continent I travel to has a completely different set of traditions, customs, languages, and values.

Separated geographically by thousands of miles, people with completely different cultures walk past each other every single day. Separated historically by wars, treaties, and stories, millions of memories inspire people to seek a better future. Separated socioeconomically by privilege, family, and education, tourists and residents see the same city through so many different lenses.

How is this possible?

This ability...this privilege to observe hundreds of strangers a day has taught me what Dr. Miller really meant. The world is SO big, and travel is the only way to fully understand that little five word sentence.

I aspire to see more of the world. Each time I travel I gain compassion, understanding, experience, memories, education, stories, empathy, joy, friends, knowledge...the list could go on forever.

What a truly beautiful and big world we live in.