International travel and foreign culture have always been a passionate daydream for me, but unfortunately, it can be expensive and time consuming for someone who is still a student to jet off to a Parisian café to see the Eiffel Tower or sail to an Italian beach to soak up the Mediterranean sun. To satisfy my need to travel, I have looked for ways to experience other lands without going too far. The most rewarding ways that I have found so far include starting in small, local ways and working toward bigger dreams.

To start, I have read books that taken me on adventures through foreign lands. One of my favorites is 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. In the story, the main character Ginny is going on a kind of scavenger hunt throughout Europe, by following the instruction left by her late aunt. The next step was to rent movies where the characters embark on cultural adventures. This is something I have been subconsciously doing since I was little by watching the different cultures of the Disney princesses. Some of the more recent movies I have discovered include Midnight in Paris, Mamma Mia!, Letters to Juliet, When in Rome, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and P.S., I Love You. The last step I took without leaving the house was to download traditional Scottish, French, Italian, English, and Irish music.

My second step was to move a little farther out of the house. Last summer, I started searching for more ways to experience the world, so my mom came up with the idea of visiting local restaurants with authentic foreign cuisines. Each week we would go to a new restaurant and taste the food, but the most memorable trips were the ones in which the workers were natives of the country. The most unforgettable restaurant served German cuisine, and the eager, caring manager was so knowledgeable about the country and even gave us free desserts. All of the ventures made me envious of those who knew more about the world and encouraged further studies to gain knowledge.

The last step I have taken so far was to go to Disney’s Epcot. As part of the entertainment, the park offers eleven cultural experiences. It takes you on a journey through Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The detail put into each section just blew me away! Each one had buildings that looked like they came straight out of that particular country. They each had some form of informative video, ride, or native speakers. My family enjoyed picking a different food from each culture, looking at the outfits, and listening to the accents of some of the workers. It was just enough to get me completely hooked on traveling!

Although I have not been able see too much of the world yet, I have fancied getting to know more about the culture that has been brought to places in my neck of the woods. The people and places that I have explored have made me eager to set foot on international soil, and look into the eyes of locals as they share and celebrate the history of their country.