Seeing as how it is the first week of classes, I thought I would give everyone a respite before attacking issues such as the McDonald’s in the Hub. Trust me, you’re going to be sick of that one soon enough.

Instead, I want to encourage all of you to consider leaving the country every once in a while. I did just such a thing this summer and it was an eye-opening experience.

Earlier this month, the boyfriend and I decided to take a week off to vacation in Canada.

It may not seem as though Canadian culture would be much different than our own, but we appreciated the little nuances that the Land of Much Hockey provided.

As some of you may already know, half the fun of going out of the country is going through customs. This is where people with no sense of humor look at you very sternly and demand to know if you are carrying any weapons in your car.

Of course we said “no,” and because the boyfriend and I are such wholesome-looking people, the woman in the booth let us go on our merry way. She never asked us if we were transporting drugs, so we didn’t mention the 10 kilos of crack in my trunk.

Canada’s road system is quite the experience. The most notable difference is the fact that speed limits are in kilometers per hour. On the Canadian interstate system, the speed limit is usually 100 kmph, although most respectable Canadians do about 130 kmph. Sure it averages out to just about 60 mph, but it feels great to see a speed limit sign with three digits.

Drivers in Canada are also much more polite than those in the States. Never once were we tailgated on the Canadian roadways. It is also national policy for Canadian drivers to drive with their headlights on at all times.

While the supposed goal is to promote safety, it is in fact an ingenious scheme by the national government to increase car battery sales in the country, as many Canadians forget to turn their headlights off when they leave their cars.

Perhaps nothing defines Canada as well as Tim Horton’s. Tim Horton’s is to Canada what McDonald’s is to the U.S., only a hell of a lot better. A breakfast restaurant chain that was started by a former NHL star, Tim Horton’s has restaurants in nearly every town. The food is great and you can get 20 Timbits for only $1.99 Canadian. Timbits are nothing more than little flavored doughnut holes, but they are good, dirt cheap and they sound English.

Unfortunately, the two other predominant fast food chains in Canada are McDonald’s and Taco Bell. The ultimate horror of the movie Demolition Man is realized.

One thing a visitor to Canada will definitely notice is how it seems to be much more in tune with the environment. Western Ontario was nothing but forests and water.

What really intrigued me was the fact that its lakes were actually blue. Maybe this seems odd, but consider that I spent most of my life wading the waters of the Great Mississippi—the Sewage Dump of the Midwest.

Or perhaps it is just my natural reaction to Canada’s charm after a horrific discovery during our stay in Michigan. Prior to enjoying the Canadian wilderness, the boyfriend and I visited Macinac Island, a Michigan tourist trap. The waters there are also quite clear, and there are many shops and trails to entertain visitors.

One thing we noticed, however, was that while the seagulls were more than happy to frolic around the tourists on land, the ducks never came out of the water. We didn’t think much of it until we were on the boat to go back to the mainland.

A woman behind us pointed to one of the ducks sleeping in the water by the boat and said “He only has one leg.” We didn’t think much of that either, because you can’t always see both legs of a duck when it’s sleeping.

Then the duck woke up and started to swim off. It had only one leg. Then the other ducks woke up and swam away from the boat. They each had only one leg. I guess it was no accident that the ducks stayed in the water. I guess that was the intent of the managers of the island. I guess they didn’t want the ducks bothering the tourists. I guess I won’t be going back.

Travelling to new places can really teach you a great deal about nature, about humans and how we tend to treat nature and each other. Moreover, you don’t have to go to another continent to appreciate the differences in cultures.

Even another state can provide excellent opportunities for fun, relaxation, adventure and education.

As students, we have the perfect opportunities to travel during our breaks or to work or study abroad during a semester. That is one thing I wish I had done more during my undergraduate career.

It is something that you should grab by the ears while you are young and can take the time out of your schedules to do.

I am saddened by my parents’ belief that they will never be able to afford to travel to all of the places they wish they could have seen.

My father is sure that the only time he will ever see the lights of Las Vegas is when I scatter his ashes there.

Someday, when I’m out of law school and filthy rich, I’m going to send my parents to wherever they want to go. You don’t have to wait that long, though.

Take advantage of the opportunities that surround you, and learn to live a little.

Theresa Wilson is a graduate student in political science at ISU and a law student at Drake University.