If you're planning a trip to another country, one of the first things you should do is visit the U.S. State Department website. There, you can download instructions for how to get a passport, l how to get a visa and the latest news from around the world and how it could affect world travelers.

There are also information sheets with helpful tips about almost every country worldwide. These are a bit more colorful than one would expect from a list of government safety tips. For example, when I clicked on "Samoa," I learned that the country has a low crime rate, but that there is a big problem with tourists getting bitten when they try to feed stray dogs. The background sheets aren't quite as surprising, but they're a lot easier to read. For example, it tells me that Hungary covers 35,910 square miles (93,030 sq. km.), but it also says that it's "about the size of Indiana." The background sheets give me a little bit of each country's history and current events. They're a great place to look if you're writing a report or even if you're just a geography fan like me.

Tired of all the legal-speak? The State Department has a pretty cool Youth and Education page, which provides everything from travel tips to activities for kids, including geography games.

There is also a section on youth exchange programs which arranges for kids from other countries to come here to learn about the United States, but there are also a few programs that help American students go overseas to study. When I found that the Bundestag Youth Exchange Program sends students all the way to Germany, I thought about helping Veronica apply, but it turns out that she'd have to be at least fifteen. There is also information on applying for the prestigious Fulbright program; which I am definitely going to apply for if I go to graduate school so that I can work on my "World Peace through World Soccer" proposal.
Go check it out and you'll see how near the rest of the world really is.