My Trip Around the World

I’ve never really been many places outside of my state. I’ve never been on a train, a subway, or a plane - but I have travelled around the world when I was a meer elementary student. How? By learning, of course.

Growing up, I’ve lived in an area where it’s a predominately white population. At a young age, my parents wanted me to be adept to the different cultures around the world. I was one of those weird children that loved to read, learn, and of course, eat. My parents found a way to combine all of these into one thing: a trip around the world.

It consisted of studying a country - endless reading of books, watching videos, and learning about the country’s culture all within a week. Once completed, I knew these countries like the back of my hand; I could inform you of any trivial fact you wanted.

In addition to studying these countries, my brother and I would choose a full meal to eat. A cultured appetizer, entree, side, drink, and dessert would fill our table at the end of the week. Usually we would invite someone who we knew would enjoy the meal to our house for a night of fun cultural conversations.

Some things varied each week, which kept things exciting. Sometimes, we’d make crafts of objects that were important to cultures; whether it be ceramic vases or clay necklaces. Other weeks, we’d learn an activity; such as a national sport or belly-dancing. Regardless, we knew that learning about the activity was a way to keep us up-to-date with their culture.

Even though we don’t do it anymore, my trip around the world is something I will never forget. I won’t forget the moment of my mom’s cousin wearing a safari uniform while studying Madagascar, or making somewhat creepy clay masks for other countries.

I hope that when I grow up and have children, I will have my family embark on a similar experience. Whether it’s an actual trip to various countries or just studying a country here and there, the experience is beneficial without doubt.