Apart from allowing you to experience new foods, languages, art and architecture, traveling to a different country introduces you to new ways of thinking. What is normal in one culture might seem strange to you at first. But after recognizing that this might be a matter of a different cultural perspective, you can soon expand your own way of seeing things. This is one reason why we learn so much when we travel: we can experience new ways of thinking and doing certain things and can maybe change our own perspectives about life along the way!
For example, when I first arrived in Romania, I had just graduated from NYU, so I was used to constantly going to class, studying, working, dancing and volunteering. My days were often so busy that I would forget to take breaks. Usually I would eat lunch in the library while finishing an essay, or I would bring dinner to a club meeting. While having a good work ethic and staying busy is also important in the Romanian culture, they value taking breaks, too. I first learned this when I started teaching here. It is expected for professors to give students at least a ten minute break for every hour of teaching.
