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Travel teaches us many things, including that we are all alike

Why do we travel? To relax in the sun, to escape the mundane of our ordinary lives, to immerse ourselves in new cultures, to visit family or to climb mountains. The reasons are endless, and the benefits are immense.

Why do we travel? To relax in the sun, to escape the mundane of our ordinary lives, to immerse ourselves in new cultures, to visit family or to climb mountains. The reasons are endless, and the benefits are immense.

I just returned from a two-week trip with my new husband to the UK and Ireland that combined city and country experiences, and time with family. I can tell you about the stunning Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland, or how the River Thames winds itself like a giant serpent though the city when viewed from the London Eye, but I can't share with you how it felt.

That's because travel is so deeply personal. It assaults the senses, but more profoundly travel changes how we see ourselves and our place in the world.

Just step into any city in Europe and you'll see a continent of different faces, religions and beliefs. The language most commonly overheard on the streets of London was not English but every other language imaginable. From the Muslim women covered in the niqab to the revealing clothing of young English school girls, contrasts abound.

Despite these diverse cultures living side by side, I believe as much as we differ, we are alike. The values we hold dear - family, love, faith, work and community - are common to us all. As humans, we all yearn for a sense of community that shares similar beliefs.

Take the Englishman and his passion for football. My husband is a huge Manchester United soccer fan, and a trip to the working class northern England city to see a game was a highlight of our trip. We gathered with 76,000 other Manchester United Club members in a stadium for three hours of exhilarating soccer and infectious atmosphere.

The fans sang team songs, chanted and erupted into thunderous cheers when a goal was scored. They hugged and screamed and, for a brief time, the outside world melted away while the club fans focused on their team. This was their community and it was incredible to watch.

If we choose to pay attention every time we journey away from home, whether near or far, we learn something about how the people we share this planet with live, what their values are, what their routines are, what they eat, how they dress and talk, and if they practise religion or follow politics.

That understanding is integral to our need to make sense of who we are in the world and how we can shape our own communities for the good of everyone, especially the vulnerable like our children and seniors.

Journey away from South Delta and I am reminded of how lucky I am to live here. "Vancouver looks like a beautiful place," a shop clerk exclaimed after I assured her I was not a Yank. "I've always wanted to go there, and you Canadians are so friendly, we loves ya."

Ingrid Abbott is a freelance writer and broadcaster living in Beach Grove who loves to travel, but is always happy to arrive home.