Confessions of a 13-year-old boy who traveled to 45 countries around the world

Imagine waking up every morning to a wonderful view all around you – that's what I get when I travel.

When I was 5, my family took me to Peru. When I was 6, we took a trip around the world. That year alone, we visited 29 countries. And every day I learned something new.

Be bolder

Before my first trip, I was a shy child. If I went to the playground, I would hide behind my mother's legs instead of playing with the other children. And I didn't dare say what I wanted. During the trip, I realized that if I didn't talk to others, I wouldn't make any friends.

Gradually I shared with my family the places I wanted to visit and the things I wanted to do, instead of depending on what my parents and brother wanted. This year, I am 13 years old and have my own YouTube channel.

Try new things

During my travels, I've tried so many new things, from mountain biking in Whistler, BC to ziplining in Costa Rica to camel riding near the Giza pyramids.

When you go to a place and start learning about their different cultures, you have to eat the way they eat. I have eaten pizza in many different countries. I also learned to cook Pad Thai in Thailand, had curry in India and tried dumplings in China. It has taught me that food is great in different countries.

Learn in different ways

While I was traveling for about a year, I dropped out of school in the second grade. Instead, I learned in a different way.

For example, I learned about King Tut's tomb, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal in India. But instead of reading about them in books and wondering what they looked like, I actually got to touch them.

I touched the pyramids with my own hands, “kissed” an Egyptian employee, learned about their origins in Persian, Egyptian, and Greek mythology. Isn’t that great?

During our travels, we used Khan Academy – a great online education website – to learn more about the places we would visit. We first learned about the tunnels in Vietnam from reading about them on Khan, then we went to them. Only a few people went from beginning to end, including me.

More independent

Traveling teaches me how to be more independent. How?

I always have to pack my things myself. Before, my parents used to double-check everything, but now they put the responsibility on my brother and me. If we forget something, it’s our fault.

Also, when we traveled, we saw how many families relied on each other to survive, which really motivated our parents to let us take on more household responsibilities.

Now we have to clean, do laundry, cook. I don't like doing these things, but I know that the four of us are like four wheels. If one stops, it will be more difficult for the other three. If all four work together, everything will go smoothly.

The most important thing that travel has taught me is that sometimes you have to take risks. When I was in Vietnam, I was playing with a child and it accidentally bit me. I still have the scar. It made me wonder if I should go back into my shell. But then I realized that coming out of my shell gave me the opportunity to meet many wonderful people.

I've learned that there are good risks and bad risks. Take the good ones.