Xenophobia is the fear of the other, that which is foreign or strange.  It’s most commonly used to refer to people who irrationally dislike foreigners, but it can be broader than that.  I think it’s a very sad thing to be a xenophobe; imagine how lonely they are.  They don’t interact with others outside their group, so they’re not exposed to new ideas; they don’t socialize with people from other places so they never get to realize how wonderful and filled with amazing things the world can be; and they remain closed and ignorant.

I remember when I was small that my parents took me traveling with them.  While I was not fortunate enough to be able to go overseas, I did travel around the States quite a bit and have learned several languages.  It’s been my experience that people who like to travel are less frequently xenophobic than those who stay in their own little universe.  What surprised me the most, though, is that when I came to Chicago, (which is the third-largest city in the U.S.), I met many, many people who had never traveled beyond the city’s limits – and yet, to me, Chicago is exotic and full of many different cultures.

So I ask you, Dear Reader.
If money and time were no object, where would you travel?