Vicky Smith
Managing Editor
@pinkwritinglady
Why do you like traveling?
My time abroad has empowered me as an individual, significantly informed my opinions and discussions and has helped me form life long relationships with people completely different from me. Each time I learn about and interact with a new culture, I have a better understanding of myself and more faith in my judgement.
Why do you think it is important for college students to travel?
They can gain so much more than I can put into words. The most important and easiest to explain are the broadened perspectives and increased confidence that I think will better prepare any student to enter the work force. [Living] in a country as diverse as America, I think it is important to learn first hand how to appreciate and adapt to culture so that students can be significantly more empathetic and successful in their endeavours with others.
Overall, what did you gain from the experience of traveling to Finland?
I gained insight into the mind set and the behavior of the people in what is considered to be, by many, one of the happiest countries in the world. The way students discussed their experience, the way officials talked about tough decisions and the way the people in the retirement home welcomed us and moved around in their spaces gave me an understanding of what it means to them to be happy, and by extension what it means to the ones who judge the world to be happy.