Experiences to be had across U.S.

As my May graduation date looms ever closer, I can’t help but think about more than a few regrets about my college experience so far. Sure, I wish I had studied more for a few tests, enrolled in — and dropped — another class or two, and pursued closer relationships with a few of my favorite professors.

Dan Faas

But my greatest regret, by far, is never having studied abroad.

It’s a well-known fact MSU has one of the most expansive study abroad programs in America. The university has programs spanning every continent, and many students choose to take advantage of the enriching opportunities that come with taking classes in another country. I myself was tantalizingly close to having my own study abroad experience in the British Isles, until that heartless hindrance — money — got in my way.

I still am really bummed about never taking a class across the pond, but the more I’ve looked back on my time in college, the more I’ve realized that I have had more than a few fulfilling and transformative cultural experiences.

No, I haven’t stayed in hostels all across Europe, but I have been to the lovely Wichita, Kan., where I had the pleasure of experiencing the best hospitality I’ve ever received — from total strangers. That beats a hostel any day.

No, I haven’t been to Italy and tasted fine wine and cuisine, but I have driven through the great state of Wisconsin and sampled some authentic Wisconsin cheese curds. And let me tell you, they don’t call it the dairy state for nothing. That title is earned.

No, I haven’t braved the blustery snows of Antarctica, but I have survived a Minnesota winter. And I might very well have frozen to death if my heart hadn’t been warmed by the sheer and unrestrained kindness for which Minnesotans are renowned. And the Minnesota “dialect,” as far as I’m concerned, is as close to another language as one can come, don’t cha know.

No, I haven’t had the opportunity to work directly with the poor in Uganda, but I have worked with the underprivileged in New Orleans, teaching and working in an impoverished school still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, even years after its initial hit. And if there’s one place in America where I’ve felt I was in a completely different country, it’s Bourbon Street.

No, I haven’t had the chance to study with the beautiful rolling hills of Ireland as my backdrop, but Ohio certainly has some lovely … uh … roads? Never mind — forget Ohio.

What I’m trying to say is, although traveling and exploring other countries is great, we have a ton of cultural treasures in our own country that often are written off and forgotten in favor of more “exotic” locales.

I realize there’s no substitute for the time studying abroad, and if I could do it all over again, I’d likely put a little more in my piggy bank so I’d have the means to go. Whether it’s to get a fuller sense of world history, observe and assist in another nation’s living conditions or get a firsthand look at international relations, studying abroad can be an extremely valuable experience, and the memories made from doing so can last a lifetime.

But from where I stand now, I’m content to look back at the cultural insights and experiences that I’ve gained from my own country. After all, it’s different people that make the world unique, not arbitrary geographical borders. America is huge, and if I spent the rest of my life traveling through it, I doubt I could experience every aspect of the complex American milieu.

The value of a trip abroad can’t be ignored. But for students such as myself who just don’t have the means, we shouldn’t forget the opportunities that exist all over the United States — even in our own backyard. Traveling to Africa to work with the poor is a wonderful way to serve others, but we can’t overlook the fact that poverty exist in America too, even in our own city of East Lansing. And the desire to learn and experience new cultures shouldn’t end when we return from our expansive — and at times expensive — trips. Some of us might be more “worldly” than others, but no one is ever an expert in humanity.

Someday very soon, I do hope travel the world. There are no substitutes for seeing the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza or the Colosseum of Rome up close.

But for now, at age 21, I’m satisfied with the experiences I’ve had in the good old USA.

Dan Faas is the State News opinion writer. Reach him at faasdani@msu.edu.