Now that exams have mercifully come to a close, most students will have begun to take on (or look for) some form of employment that will keep them fed and sheltered during the summer months. But before hunkering down in your offices, summer camps, and warehouses to make some more moolah for the alma mater, might we humbly offer a suggestion: if you have the means, and even if you don’t, take a few days off this summer and get out of town.
We’ve all been sequestered for too long in labs and libraries. Now is the time to get in touch with that wider world that we too easily forget about during exam time-a world with stories, sights, and new experiences galore.
Young people today have the opportunity to travel more than any preceding generation, and it behooves us to make use of any chance we get. Whether it’s a return to one’s native land, the tried-and-true backpack through Europe, or a baseball-themed road trip, some time away does wonders towards broadening our perspective and adding to the “life experience” so desired by employers and grad schools.
If the thought of leaving the ol’ red and white scares you, fear not. Our diversity in terms of geography and language is such that it would take five or six trips to truly appreciate the cultural amalgam that is Canada. Simply pick a region you haven’t explored yet, and hop a train-a small town just a few hours away can feel like a whole new world.
Cost can, of course, be a hindrance to travel, but it needn’t be with a little planning and a sense of adventure. Youth hostels, host families, and shared sleeping compartments all provide the opportunity for memorable experiences and new friendships, while government programs and bursaries-such as the J’Explore French immersion course-are unique and affordable options for students.
It is crucial to get out there and see how things work in other parts of the world. The variety of human experience is just staggering and is something to be celebrated. It’s even more important to start this exploration early, even if it doesn’t make total financial sense to do so, since only by going to a place first can you return later and see it again with new eyes.
As Canadian novelist Margaret Laurence put it, to visit somewhere is to always have that place with us once we leave, available in our memories whenever we feel like a return trip.
Before we know it, school will start again and we will once more find ourselves barricaded in reading rooms and lecture halls. Do yourself a favour, and make sure that when that time comes you’ll have some exciting memories of new lands to return to.
