Compassion for one another is taught through embracing our differences and similarities. It is also through global exploration that we as individuals and as a nation can better understand ourselves and better understand the world. The reason for this has almost everything to do with perspective. I have had the opportunity to participate in a couple of cultural programs and each one had me departing with a better understanding of myself and other parts of the world. Before these camps and study-abroad experiences, I had lived the majority of my life in an isolated bubble. My global experiences were limited as was my knowledge of different cultures and perspectives. I didn’t begin to realize the limitation this lack had on me until I traveled for the first time. The summer before my sophomore year of high school I left the U.S. to study-abroad in Italy and learn about about sustainability and the slow food movement; little did I know the knowledge I would gain would be far greater than that. In a single month I learned more about myself and the world than I had my whole life prior. I met amazing people, stayed with an amazing family, and was immersed in a culture similar but also different from mine. It ignited a passionate within me to pursue international affairs. In later summers I would come to attend a Spanish immersion camp and even later, an online course about being a better global citizen. After each experience I left with what felt like life changing perspectives about different nations, cultures, and people. Through classes I now take in college like globalization, international relations, and comparative politics, I’ve learned how important it is to empathize and learn about each culture in order to make the world the best it can be for future generations. Each individual is just important as the next and each culture has just an equal importance in making the world go round. If we want to flourish as a nation and to thrive as humanity then global exploration is a necessity. We have to learn about life beyond our little bubbles and celebrate the diversity of the world in order to have diplomacy, cooperation, and peace. These are things that come once we recognize how unique each culture is and remind ourselves each day to celebrate these differences and similarities. Each new perspective we learn is another step towards creating a more positive legacy for the future.