I encourage everyone to take an extended trip to a country with a different culture if they can afford it by any means. The greatest effect it has on you is making it obvious which aspects of your personality and values are just picked up from your surroundings. Every time I moved to a different region it stripped away a little bit of the parts of me that weren't really me, and left me feeling much more confident in my goals and desires, and generally more comfortable with who I am. You really can't put a price on this.

Spain. France. Switzerland. Japan.

- Sit in a cafe in the morning and watch people go to work.

- Sit in a cafe in the afternoon and watch people go to lunch.

- Sit in a cafe at night and watch people eat dinner.

Really made me see and reflect on my own ways of going about them.

I always find it interesting how people travel and sit in cafes to people watch, but they never do that in their own home towns.

I would be willing to bet if you took a week off work and just went around relaxing at cafes in your home city, you would discover all sorts of interesting things and people without even having to leave the country.

People are people, and you can find stressed out people everywhere. You can also find relaxed, easy going, loving people everywhere too, if you look hard enough.

Hm. I never heard anyone explain it so well before, or why, one would "find oneself" (sorry for using this awkward phrase..) in travelling. Thanks. :)

Yeah completely agree. Also forces you to admit to some of your personal faults.

It's very much a cliché but I did it as well. Cheers