Assignment 2:Travelling shapes character

Task: Write another travel-related post.

This quote by St. Agustine reflects my feelings and thoughts about travelling. I've always felt this strong wish to explore the world. Go to places you've never been before. See things you've never seen before. And meet people you've never met before. I think that travelling truly broadens your mind because you automatically get in touch with various cultures.
I see myself not only as a citizen of Austria, but also as a citizen of the world. Therefore, I need to get to know my neighbors and their customs and traditions. As far as I can remember, I've already been to Egypt, Italy, Germany, England, USA, the Netherlands and to the Balearic Islands. As a child, I travelled within Austria with my family (mostly to Styria). But as I grew older, I felt this desire to travel to places further away.
I think there is a difference between travelling as a typical tourist and travelling as someone who wants to dive deeper into different cultures. If you really want to get to know a culture, it's best if you know someone from this culture. As a total stranger you most likely just get to see what tourist agencies want you to see. As someone who has connections to a country, on the other hand, you get a deeper insight. When I was in Houston, TX, I got the deepest insight you can probably get when you don't actually live in the country. My friends showed me the different neighborhoods (from very poor to very rich, from white to black ones etc.). They showed me the places tourists most likely won't see (because they reflect the truth every government wants to hide). But you don't only see the bad places. You also get to see the truly beautiful places...those you also can't see as a tourist. You get to see families living together, people helping each other...you get to see love and joy.
If you do it right, you can learn a lot by meeting different people from different countries.You hear different stories, different perspectives and opinions.When I was in Houston, I got to meet people from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Spain etc. It was so interesting to hear their stories (sad ones as well as happy ones). And I think travelling really shapes your personality as well. It's not only about visiting sights or spending money...I think it's also about inner growth.
After visiting Russia and seeing the poverty there, I felt like the richest person on earth when I came back. The tiniest things made me happy (like warm water, or even just water you can actually drink without getting sick). You start to appreciate the things you have and you start to realize how lucky you actually are.
This is why I think especially in this century of prosperity (atleast in most parts of Europe) travelling is very important. It shapes not only your opinions and views on various matters but it also shapes your character. It teaches people modesty, which can sometimes be hard to find these days.