When I was a freshman in high school I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico to build houses for families in need.

It was a needed opportunity for a young kid to learn two key lessons:

• My life is pretty great compared to most people on the planet.
• Other countries and cultures are interesting, better at many aspects of life, worse at some, and never wrong just for being different.

Experiencing life in other parts of the world can open our eyes to other possibilities. Seeing how other cultures approach the difficulties and joys of life can help us improve how we live those moments – or be grateful for what we don’t have to endure. Opening ourselves to ways outside our norms will have a lasting positive impact on our empathy, gratitude, perspective, and more.

Today is day 30 of March of Gratitude and I am truly grateful that I’ve been able to #travel. There is no question that I am a better human for it.