Days are getting warmer and the urge to get out of school is growing. Excitement is stirring up, as people discuss what the summer entails. Aside from working, hanging out with friends, and sleeping in, there is another topic that is always mentioned: traveling.

If you are the one involved in the travel plans, emotions should be anticipation and happiness. If the destination is somewhere far away and new, excitement constantly lives in your stomach. If you are staying local, that excitement should stay the same.

If you don’t get the chance to travel somewhere far and more exotic this summer, there are also places around us that serve as great vacation spots. Somewhere as close as Wachusett Mountain could serve as a good day getaway. Challenge yourself and discover some local, unknown trails. Money doesn’t make a vacation, the experience does. Just because something isn’t well-known or costly doesn’t mean it’s any less beautiful or fun. With a positive attitude and an open mind, you can make anywhere you go an adventure.

Also, if a chance to travel is offered to you, whether it’s a school trip or a family getaway, take it. Even if you think you might not like it, don’t speak the language, or have no previous knowledge about the place, go. The world is filled with sights that are begging to be seen and cultures that are aching to be experienced. Traveling shapes who we are as people and gives us something to reflect upon in the future. A little part of everywhere you go stays with you for the rest of your life because there are unique things about every place that can surprise you. And even if the experience is horrible, at least you’ll have some memories to look back on.

Because I go to China almost every year to visit my family, I understand that going somewhere you go often can be repetitive and boring. However, I can assure that there is always something new to do, no matter how many times you’ve been somewhere. The world around us is always changing, whether it’s the people or the landscape, and we should take the opportunity to learn as much about it as we can.

So travel. Anywhere and everywhere if given the opportunity. If it’s the Eiffel Tower or an unknown small village in Ireland or a historic town in Maine, go. You never know what a place could have until you experience it yourself.