An Essay on Traveling by Mia

Traveling now days is more available in general than it ever has been before. All one must do is simply purchase a plane ticket on the internet and within days, one could be exploring the grasslands of Africa. I personally would not travel alone to Africa for the soul reason of being mauled by a ferocious lion. But others, I’m sure, would happily accept the opportunity to travel to Africa with or without lions and tigers and bear. Oh my!
Of course, there are many advantages to traveling that exclude starving lions. Traveling is a perfectly wonderful time to meet new people, eat exotic foods, and listen to outlandish music such as throat singing and bagpipes. Traveling is also a time to gaze dreamily like monuments like the Taj Mahal and the Dumou in Florence, Italy. In traveling far and wide, it is common to stumble and blush over foreign languages. It is not fun, however, to attempt to order bread and cheese and be served the tongue of a cow.
But as all things have two sides, it is an obligation to state sad truths and disadvantages of traveling. Mainly, poor sanitation in countries around the world can lead to diseases. In addition, there are financial problems. It is advised, if not required, to get certain vaccinations to travel. At last once the many vaccinations have been taken and one’s arm is terribly sore, the medical bill comes. One can sadly look at the depleting bank account that the plane ticket or the cost of gas and the vaccinations have run down. When the time comes to travel, the traveler in question may be, such as myself, ultra paranoid about deadly spiders and typhoid. Once in the travel destination, it is challenging to enjoy the scenery when you had to get five vaccinations and water filters in order not to die. It can be quite maddening.
In today’s economy, it is hard for everyone to travel internationally. The drastic swings of the stock market and the bills don’t help the traveling cause. Although it is considered a luxury, which it is, I believe everyone should at one point in their life, should be lucky enough to travel. If the person in question does not want to travel, it is their loss. People can learn so much from other cultures. Not only does traveling expand one’s horizons, but it changes the way one thinks. I feel more understanding and tolerant after taking a trip. Observing other people, who may seem worlds away, is a humbling experience. I’ve come to realize through traveling that it is possible to connect with people and to temporarily become part of someone’s world. After traveling, I feel connected to everyone everywhere. I find it sad that most people in the world don’t get to travel.
Overall, traveling may seem like a rather tricky ordeal. The prospect of communicating with non-English speakers, diseases and ferocious lions can be intimidating. But to me, traveling and experiencing such wonders is worth the vaccination shots and the bland Pimsleur lessons. People only get to live once. Since life is so short (although, dually noted, it is the longest thing someone can do) why waste away in a dreary site? Traveling enriches one’s life dramatically. If it’s possible for one to take a trip, then the person in question should be prepared from the ride of their life.