Dr. Orien Tulp Shares Why Americans Should Travel Abroad

A vacation in the United States can be a pleasant and relaxing experience. But traveling abroad offers certain advantages you can’t get anywhere else. That’s why Dr. Orien Tulp believes international travel is the cornerstone for an enriched, fulfilled American life.

You might be surprised at some of the unique benefits that international travel can provide. Here’s why you should travel abroad to some of those destinations you may only have read or heard about in your lifetime.

Experience Textbooks and History, and What They Have to Offer

Most students take courses about various global cultures and geographies. However, most people will not retain all of this information. Reading out of a textbook, watching a video, or even speaking to someone of another nationality doesn’t hold a candle to the experience that can be gained by experiencing it for yourself.

When you trek through a foreign country, you will be able to take in all the sights, languages, environment, and information around you. You don’t have to spend hours poring over a bland textbook or video to learn about someone else’s perception; you’re already there.

A knowledge of history may suggest that the authors may not have always gotten it right, but we can learn from our history to know how to make better decisions from the mistakes of others, just as we do from our own misperceptions of unfamiliar entities.

Dr. Orien Tulp’s sentiments on international travel are clear: “If you never leave your backyard, you’ll never get to know the whole neighborhood. The same is true of traveling abroad.”

Language Connects Us All

When you travel abroad, you get the chance to connect with people and environments that are likely to be different from your own. That’s one of the things that makes the human experience so unique and fulfilling.  You may find differences, but you may be surprised to find more similarities than differences. If you don’t travel, you may never learn the answer.

Across the globe, there are over 7,000 different languages spoken every day —an impressive number. If you’re trying to learn one of these many languages, that’s a noble effort. However, it’s one thing to learn a language in a classroom; it’s another to converse with a native speaker.

As Dr. Orien Tulp remembers, “I recall someone who had taken four years of the French language in school, but when she had the opportunity to speak with a native speaker, neither was able to communicate effectively with the other on the first attempt. French, like many languages, can seem complicated to the novice. English as a first-time second language to a foreigner can seem equally complicated.”

If you never travel outside of the United States, you won’t get many chances to practice speaking authentically with locals. And if you ask any linguist, they’ll confirm that immersion is one of the best ways to retain and polish your skills with another language.

International travel is the perfect opportunity to refine and expand your language skills while enjoying the local culture and scenery.

International Travel Challenges Biases and Prejudices

American culture can, unfortunately, be narrow-minded. But when you travel abroad, you are forced to confront your preconceived notions about people and places you’ve only heard about from others. As you meet new people, interact with locals, and learn more about your destination, you may be able to dispel some of the harmful or inappropriate stereotypes that the American culture you have experienced may have perpetuated.

This will ultimately make you into a more well-rounded, open-minded person. After all, as you probably learned from those early years while growing up, experience, whether good or bad, is one of our best teachers regarding empathy and a better understanding of the world around us.

About Orien Tulp

Dr. Orien Tulp is the founder and president of the University of Science, Arts and Technology. He has researched, authored, and taught as a professor in the medical field for several decades.

In prior years, Dr. Tulp was an established military veteran who completed hundreds of medical civic action missions. He is dedicated to spreading his education and leadership everywhere he goes.

Dr. Tulp has hundreds of published works regarding obesity, weight control, and diabetes. He was one of the first contributors to Academia Biology, which launched in 2023.