When I was 16 I travelled on my own to Jordan, staying in a hostel in Amman. I took a 2 day trip to Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea, camping overnight in the desert.
I visited a mosque, and met travellers from all over the world on their own adventures.
I quickly learned to be independent, to budget and to dynamically problem solve.

Aged 17 I went on the trip of a lifetime to Capetown on a rugby tour with The Crypt Grammar School. I visited Langa Township, Table Mountain, penguin beach.
I went on safari and saw the Big Five, a truly amazing experience.
I learned how fragile life is for people living in poverty, and came to appreciate the lack of infrastructure and support for people living in townships. My understanding of education as a privilege deepened.

I spent Christmas in the Islamic country of Marrakesh and gained an understanding of a very different way of life. The capital was mainly a cash economy, the bazaars were busy and unregulated, with snakes, monkeys hustlers and beggars, existing next to wealthy hotels and shops.
I learned the bitter end of business for people who have to make a sale to exist.