Prednosti putovanja svijetom kroz oči srednjoškolca

Nedavno je IRO kao jedini ovlašteni centar EducationUSA mreže u Hrvatskoj objavio natječaj za najbolji esej na engleskom jeziku, koji je organizirao u suradnji s Veleposlanstvom SAD-a uoči Tjedna međunarodnog obrazovanja.

Na natječaj se javilo 90 učenika srednjih škola diljem Hrvatske, a IRO je imao težak zadatak da od mnogih izvrsnih eseja odabere onaj najbolji. U nastavku možete pročitati rad Leone Hauzer, učenice trećeg razreda II. gimnazije Osijek, koji je naša komisija odabrala kao najbolji esej ovogodišnjeg natječaja.

The benefits of travelling and seeing the world are numerous. What is your opinion?

It is believed that through traveling, we experience new connections with people and places and immerse in different cultures, which help widen our perspective and so much more.

Nowadays, the majority of the human population dwells in the metropolitan areas. Broadly speaking, our society has become occupied with work, pursuing careers, and succeeding in life. All of this unquestionably takes toll on one’s life. Over the centuries, we have internalized these habits of constant chasing after something, whether it’s higher education, better position at work etc. Burnouts and constant stress are by-products of living this kind of lifestyle. Therefore, it’s important to occasionally break the routine, step out of the comfort zone, change our surroundings and simply dive into the unknown.

Travelling should be an equivalent to adventure. Not only is it about exploring new places but about falling in love with the culture of the said place, finding beauty in the native language, or being fascinated with its cuisine. Discovering foreign locations helps us break the repetitive patterns we blindly follow on a day-to-day basis. Travelling helps us discover something that seemed so far away from our reach, something exotic and unfamiliar that seems both terrifying and astonishing at the same time. It causes the shaking of our bones, and the trembling of our hearts as we exit the airport and step into the undisclosed. All of our five senses activate as we cross the unfamiliar streets, try local food or hear the music of the spoken language.

It’s equally as magical and exciting learning about our ancestors as we sightsee the Colosseum in Rome, visit Athens’ Agora or explore the heartland of the pyramids in Egypt. Nothing can beat the adrenaline rush that takes over as we climb up the Mount Everest or conquer the waves while surfing in Malibu beach or witnessing the magnificent phenomenon of nature like Aurora Borealis or Niagara Falls for the first time. Voyaging can help us widen our horizons, learn about new cultures and break the prejudices toward a certain nation. We learn to be judgement – free cosmopolitan individuals that enter a new culture with open minds, ready to understand the manners and amenities of the land we’re visiting. Travelling helps us empathize with others, but we get to learn a lot about ourselves, too. It helps us find our strengths and weaknesses and whether we function better alone or in a group. Surely, good memories will be made no matter what type of travel we prefer.

Humans have been nomads and explorers, inventors and discoverers ever since they stepped foot on this Earth. We would not have evolved and developed as species if it weren’t for our great curiosity for everything around us. In the end, what is life, if it is not about taking risks, learning about us and the others, exploring new places and actually living, not just existing. As Oscar Wilde said: “Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret.”

Još jednom čestitiamo Leoni na sjajnom eseju, kao i njezinoj profesorici engleskoga Aleksandri Pavličević, koja ju je prijavila na naš natječaj!