of the days when learning and gaining knowledge was my only job. How wonderful it was to master a new skill, or study a subject I was unfamilar with. Education can also be the purposeful retention of information, often gained through repetitious and forceful studying. Learning is so much more than that – if you travel. 

Through my life, I have realized that the information that has been most impactful and long lasting is that which I have gained through firsthand experience. It is one thing to learn about the geography and rolling hills of Scotland through the words in a textbook, but it is far more momentous to actually be in Scotland – listening to bagpipes and absorbing the vast history of the location just by being there. Visiting Stratford-upon-Avon and seeing Shakespeare’s birth place, all while imagining the literary treasures that came from the man who walked those very same streets is awe-inspiring. 

When traveling, allow yourself to feel the sheer weight and meaning these places hold. There is simply no way for a textbook or a school lesson to convey the feelings that places like these inspire. Travel with your children and grand children, and watch their school books come alive. 

Through travel, a person will learn geography, history, language, sociology, architecture and so much more – even if they do not intend to. There are amazing discoveries to be made all around us. Personal experience creates meaningful knowledge that will never be forgotten.