Bidets are a wonderful invention, and we should have more of them in the USA.

D'Accord....)

1. The value of "old" community. Get right into an an old German village and "feel" the fact that the same families have been living in the same houses with the same neighbours for hundreds of years.
2. That happiness has nothing to do with material wealth and comfort. The happiest, most outgoing and chatty, kids I ever met were playing in the alleyways in a poor part of Istanbul. I've had similar experiences in SE Asia too.
3. Someone on this thread said something like you haven't gained anything from travel if you know where the best cafe is but you haven't stopped to talk at length with the locals. How absolutely right.

Just bringing this to the top because it seemed to be the time for some interesting and well thought out posts.

Always double- and treble-check that your passport, tickets, credit cards and keys are safely packed, but accessible to you (and no-one else). Then you needn't worry too much about anything else you might have forgotten, because you have the wherewithal to survive and get home again.

Many things:

-To be more grateful for America. One glance at the American Cemetery at Normandy reminds us what we represent to the world.
-Discrimination between what a country's politicians do and what the people are really like. We have made dear friends in France and agree with other posters that the French people are generally cordial and civilized.
-More about my Irish and Italian heritage. I learned what my great grandparents went through to come to America and stand in awe of their courage and tenacity.

Good question and interesting responses.

Anthony

Travel has taught me that we are NOT "all alike" and that people who hold views opposed to ours deserve respect if nothing else.

except on this board apparently

Respect is one thing; sucking up is an entirely different story

Many of the above sentiments are mine also. Especially a love for history and the great joy of seeing ancestorial roots first hand.

But travel has also taught me that not everyone has the stamina to "be" a good traveler- (and sometimes you can't know that about a person until you actually travel with him/her). And also that the energy necessary for optimal travel experience gets harder to maintain as you age.

Although all the positive things above are true, travel has also taught me that change is inevitable and that almost everything on earth is cyclical. It has also taught me that cruelity is cruelity and should be named its name whenever it occurs- regardless of the religious, nationalistic, or other criteria of its placement.

1. Appreciation of art, architecture, and history.

2. Comfort zones are for wimps. :)

3. My husband is a wonderful person and can make any situation (including a three hr. wait in customs) fun.

4. When you get home, cats can be vindinctive and needy, all at the same time...

5. There's no place like home.

6. I need to be able to say please, thank you, hello, and goodbye in any country I visit.

ttt

Travel has taught me to know that I just want to do it more for all the reasons listed. Oh yea...and when I remodle the bathroom I want to get me one of them there "bo-days".