One great side-effect of traveling is that you notice how places (including your home) smell. You normally don't notice it because you get very used to it. But it's really yet another dimension that a place can have. Here are a few smells I encountered (of course this is subjective):

As the two nodes above indicate, Travel is one of the greatest educational methods known to man. When you leave your home (home state, province, governmental entity) you will encounter new people, new music, new rules and often new thinking. When you return home you will see your home in a new light (not better, or worse, just different ).
Perspective.
The educational is therefore multifaceted, because you are learning about a world you do not live in and also redefining your everyday experience in that context.

Example: If you live in Canada, and think that Americans are conservative and mean spirited, go to Central America, where almost all public transportation is regularly interrupted by police/military searches of passengers and luggage.

If you live in Europe and think of the United States as one big city with suburbs, fly to Casper,Wyoming, rent a car and drive North or West. For a long time. Try and find a group of people larger than 15 after dark.

At the same time things that you will probably hate when you travel will then endear you to your "old" home. If it is too big (Shaghai), then Atlanta will seem smaller. If it is too small (much of Western America), you will appreciate London. If it is too expensive (Hong Kong), you will probably long for inexpensive places like Iowa.

Food will either taste better when you return (by comparison) or you will now have a taste for food you never liked before (Cajun food anyone?). Either way, your life will have changed.

Movies, literature, music all change your perspective, but nothing touches travel. Better, worse, bothered, inspired, ..... who knows ... but you will not be the same.

Travel changes. Period.

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