In the past 3 years, I have stood small under the shadows of the Andes Mountains. Skylines have taken my breath away and left me standing with my eyes glued onto the city. People speaking in different languages have rushed and hurried past me, not knowing that the words they spoke sounded like songs I wanted to understand. You could say that traveling makes a person more knowledgable, that it makes their world a bit smaller. I believe that when I am in another country and learning about the cultures and every day lives, the world becomes a size I cannot fathom to measure. I see one place and then thirst to see another. I begin to think about all the places I have not visited and a mental picture begins to form in my head. It's a globe of the Earth, and on that globe are small, shaded shapes, representing the places I have seen. I stare at the unshaded space, and wonder what lies on the surface. I wonder what type of people live there and what they eat- what they wear. Traveling is not about luxury or staying in the best 5 star hotels. The lessons you learn and the hope that you appreciate the people who share the same ground as you do- that's what traveling is about. I think becoming one with a native allows you to experience the place on a deeper level. Taste their food, try on their clothes, walk their streets. Take in the beauty of the next place you visit, because looking at pictures on Google and simply saying "I've been there" means absolutely nothing if you have not truly "been theirs."