As a 20-year-old girl, I am full of curiosity about the world outside of college and I often daydream about places I haven’t been to yet. I like to travel and explore the unknown world.

    Travel has taught me a lot. I can feel empathy and happiness from so many different people I have met, and they all hold different perspectives.

    I often hear about things that are happening in different countries. These things make us wonder how they could happen, and often they sound so unbelievable. But if I understand the life and customs the people have in those places I may better understand what happens and it wouldn’t seem so strange anymore.

    For example, I went to Cambodia last year. I was all alone; it was my first time traveling by myself.

    Cambodia is an underdeveloped country. But despite the poverty, there were so many people just sitting idly. When I just arrived there I saw a teenager. He was nabbed in the act of stealing something. People crowded around the boy. I tried to peek, but failed. I heard him say that he would rather be a thief, because he did not want to starve. I was sad after hearing it.

    His mom came later, and she looked skinny. She could not believe that her son would steal, and she apologized again and again. She said she had trouble making money, but she still could pay for food. I tried to think about helping her by handing some money to the boy, but I did not do that in the end. All in all I was not familiar with the customs in that country. I thought that if I were the boy, I might become a thief too, because I also did not want to starve to death.

    The experience left a deep impression on me.