Traveling to another country and immersing yourself in its culture is a great way to get an appreciation of how other people live. You transcend your own situation for a broader view. That in turn makes you more sympathetic to their national identities and uniqueness’s.

Recently I had the privilege to share a trip to Italy & Switzerland with Mannie. I have been mentoring the young man and I promised him a trip upon successful completion of his college graduation. He is the first in his family to graduate and I thought it important to make a positive example of his success. He held his end of the bargain and I got to plan a trip. Mannie had never been out of this country so it was an eye opener.

We planned an ambitious 9-day Italian adventure, starting in Milano, then onto Roma for 3 days. We toured the Vatican Museum, enjoyed the sights of ancient Rome and took a day trip to Napoli & Pompeii. You get a real sense of history touring thru ruins that are over 2,000 years old. From there we went to Pisa for a day. The “Field of Miracles” includes the Leaning Tower, the old Cathedral and an awesome Mausoleum with ancient tombs.

After Pisa, we went to visit my friends in Switzerland. We walked the beautiful city of Solothurn near Biel. Mannie had a taste of absinthe made in that region. From there we went to Thun, Neiderstoken & Gurzelen, all in the canton of Bern. My friends were amazingly generous and prepared cuisine from those regions. We got a first rate sample of that beautiful country!

Our trip continued back to Venice, Italy for 2 nights. Venezia is a water lovers paradise. We took the Grand Canal tour and walked many of the back streets. Most all dead end at one of the 45 canals in that city. Mannie took a tour of the earliest Jewish ghetto, dating back hundreds of years. We spent our last day in Milano touring the Domo. We walked up to the top of the church among all the arches and statues.

It was a pleasure to be able to share this learning experience with Mannie. I know it opened his eyes to the larger world out there. Need to expand a loved ones horizons? Think about sharing a travel experience to an international destination. You will not only increase their awareness of the world around them but you just might have some fun, too.

Happy Travels.