Nowadays travel is very easy, we can easily visit and learn about cultures different from our own.
We reach distant regions, easily traveling considerable distances. In a short time we can find ourselves on the edge of a continent or in another part of the world. We have become a global village, basically everything affects each other, and problems that arise in one region affect neighboring countries, and consequently the whole world. At the same time, the media floods us with information, which we try to verify and evaluate as more or less reliable and valuable.
We can gain knowledge about other places without leaving home, simply by searching for information about a topic on the Internet. However, nothing can replace direct experience and encounter with culture, history and art, encountering the beauty of different places. Sometimes a trip makes a fascination emerge, which gives rise to new passions.
Visiting other places deepens our knowledge of difference, teaches us tolerance and respect for other nations, while at the same time allowing us to find traits common to us all. Learning about the cultural richness and customs of other nationalities, staying in other countries, we also notice the problems of the inhabitants of a given region, which makes us more sensitive and open-minded. Meeting people who have other cultural roots, we develop our contacts, learn acceptance and tolerance of other people, and thus also understand the diversity of beliefs and worldviews.
Sightseeing develops us, shapes our personality and influences our knowledge of the world. Understanding flows from closer acquaintance, and this in turn allows us to be inspired by diversity and to go beyond stereotypes, transcending the usual patterns and seeing that different does not mean worse, only interesting and interesting.
What is an indicator of tolerance? We allow for otherness. We respect the customs, tastes, beliefs of the other person. We do not judge anyone through the prism of our personal experiences, our worldview and habits only with curiosity we look at what is unusual and surprising.
Sightseeing is a pleasure in itself, as long as we take some trouble to learn about the history and culture of a place. Then sometimes there are extraordinary moments and moments that confirm that it was worth the trouble of traveling and feel the atmosphere of a place whose beauty stays with us for a long time.
One of the reasons to travel is to learn foreign languages. I remember years ago when I traveled abroad and attended lectures in English. At first it was stressful for me, and I could hardly understand both the general outline and the details of the issue the lectures covered. This first experience encouraged me to study, deepen my knowledge, listen to audios and watch videos with the original soundtrack. After a while, I noticed a huge improvement in both direct communication and in my understanding of spoken and written language. I began to read in English, and this in turn opened up the world of fiction to me, the possibility of reading literary works written in the original precisely. Nothing develops the written language like reading. Meeting people for whom English was their native language gave me the opportunity to communicate and break the barrier of speaking in a foreign language. In the work I did, I also had the opportunity to work with translations in my field. This gave me a lot and contributed to my language development.
Over time, while traveling to other countries, I felt the desire to learn a few more foreign languages. I know that this is an adventure that is just beginning. In addition to English, I once began to learn French and German. I also had some exposure to Russian. However, lack of time and sufficient motivation to explore these languages meant that to this day, learning these languages has remained in the realm of my dreams. Lack of contact with a foreign language makes us forget quickly. For the sake of learning a language, it would be best to live somewhere for an extended period of time, but even a short stay allows us to learn a few basic phrases and perhaps will encourage us to learn the language at least to a communicative degree.
Traveling also teaches us to overcome our limitations and believe in our own abilities. When we go to another country willy-nilly, we have to step out of our comfort zone and trust both our judgment and it makes us more open-minded and ready for change.
We can read about various places in advertising brochures and guidebooks, but nothing can replace direct acquaintance. Each of us has our own tastes. Just because I like to visit places that tourists don’t always get to doesn’t mean that everyone does. We form an opinion about a place and our personal preferences make us later enjoy returning to places and people that have just become important to us for some reason.
I love photographing different places and thus preserving memories of moments that gave me respite and a break from everyday life. It is these moments that allow me to see even more of the beauty around me and the magic of different places.
