[one_half]Overrated – Zane Nogueras

Everyone loves to travel for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s for pure thrill-seeking, or just finding something to do with vacation time, travel is the universal attitude adjustment. While travelling outside of the country is a fun and sometimes liberating experience, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. 

The first hurdle most people would face with travelling abroad is cost. Even before leaving the airport, costs will pile up, from the flight costs to the hotel stays. Any other essentials such as food and excursions need to be accounted for and the expenses will already be in the thousands for most locations.  

While travelling abroad is enticing, especially now given cheaper flights due to the coronavirus, it discounts the plethora of places to see in the United States alone. Each of the 50 states has a wide array of sites, from national parks to historic landmarks, and there are more than a lifetime’s worth of locations to visit in our country alone. With our incredibly well thought-out highway system, the United States is quite possibly the best country for all kinds of road trips, with sites and locations alongside every highway. Our multitude of national parks have preserved immense beauty that attracts visitors from across the globe, and many are just a short flight or a drive away.  

The idea of travelling abroad is overrated not because leaving the country is necessarily bad, but more because it diminishes the beauty of the country we’re already living in. Taking the time to find something to do in the U.S. instead of abroad does not sound as impressive, but there is a great chance you can have the same, if not better, experience locally and at a fraction of the price. Travelling is a subjective art, and everyone will still have their preferences, but the idea that travelling abroad is the peak of travel is overblown. 

[one_half]Underrated – Daniil Ivanov

Traveling abroad means much more than just drinking copious amounts of alcohol under different scenery. If you travel across America, there are slight variances in the culture, but we more-or-less speak the same language, eat the same food and have the same culture. 

Traveling across the world, on the other hand, means you have the opportunity to be exposed to different cultures, become a more well-rounded person and learn more about humanity as a whole. 

Another reason to travel abroad is the food. Though America tries to imitate foreign dishes here, they pale in comparison to the originals. Belgian waffles made in Belgium or Italian espresso on a Vespa in wine country are the peak of vacationing. Also well-renowned is the street food of various countries—cheap and unique dishes that American restaurants would never serve. 

There is of course the issue of price, but even that has to be taken with perspective. I have had very expensive trips through Florida where just lodging costs thousands of dollars by the end of the trip, and food costs were through the roof as well since you eat out more often and are still under the high cost of living of the U.S. Overseas, depending on the country, the only major expense can be just the flight, and even there you can find a good deal. Thailand has been a very popular destination within the last few years because of just how cheap it is to be there, and many other exotic countries have similar circumstances.   

Overall, whether you’re spending a few days in Toronto on a budget or saving up all year to go to Italy, traveling abroad is a great way to experience the rest of the world and has become underrated.