Student learns from traveling

This past semester, I have had the opportunity to travel a number of times. Some of these trips were for school while others were just for fun. From Arizona to Montana and Colorado to New York, I've been all over.

All of these adventures have provided me with the chance to see some very different parts of the country and meet some very different people. I see travel as a way to learn without studying; experience becomes the textbook and the city or landscape becomes the classroom. Even when a trip isn't meant to be an educational one, often it becomes so.

In travelling to Colorado and Arizona early this semester, I was exposed to activities and landscapes that I hadn't previously had the privilege to enjoy. In Colorado, where I have been before, I was finally able to enjoy more of the ski resort that my family was staying at. At the various lodges and warming huts on the mountain, I met people from all over the country and the world, all coming together to enjoy the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

    
Arizona provided an experience that was very similar. I had been to Phoenix once before, but hadn't been able to partake in any of the activities that so many enjoy. While I was there, I hiked and kayaked in the Superstition Mountains and around the lakes that surround them. Experiencing the desert environment of the American Southwest was something new for me and just by spending time there, I learned a great deal about how different climates can be experienced in different ways. I now have a greater respect for the area and the environment in and around Phoenix.

Contrastingly, the trips that I have taken that have in some way, been related to school, have been somewhat directed towards learning from the beginning.

Prior to Easter break, the Viterbo Honors Program went to New York City as the travel component of a "city as text" course. While I was not enrolled in the class myself, participating in the trip allowed me to witness the learning processes of my peers and to process with them, my own experiences. Students on this trip took note of the architecture, the theatre culture, the poverty, homelessness, and many other aspect of a city that is so different from La Crosse. It is my belief that this trip provided a unique experience for students to learn outside of the classroom.

Finally, my experiences in Missoula, Montana, at the Nation Conference on Undergraduate Research have also offered an opportunity to learn about a place and the people there. Located in Western Montana, Missoula is home to the University of Montana and also a very prominent movement to find sustainable ways to produce and use energy. The university is also home to one of the only programs of climate change study in the country. It was incredibly refreshing to visit a town and university that is so focused on the future of the planet.

I have learned much about what different people in different parts of the country value and appreciate in my travels this semester. I can only recommend to others to participate in as many travel opportunities as possible, whether it be for school or for fun. Much can be learned from experiencing different places and people and we can take that which we learn in our travels on in the rest of our lives. The best way I can put it is to go forth, explore, and learn!