New Year's Resolution? Try the World!

Here we are, almost at the beginning of another year, all fresh, shiny and full of promise. If you are like me, you stand at the threshold of the new year and resolve to make some changes. Do you want to make an effort to get out more in 2024? See more? Do more? Just generally BE more?  

But if you've made a resolution to do something different this year, how do you actually go about doing it?  Work pressures are still the same. Family needs and responsibilities are still the same.  People and organizations who depended upon you in 2023 will still need you in 2024, maybe even more. In other words, how do you make a change?

Here's one easy (and enjoyable) suggestion: Try the World! Sign up for a monthly subscription snack box and experience a little of the great big world in your own home. Each month, a box like the one pictured below arrives at your home (or whatever address you provide).  Inside, the box is stuffed full of snack-sized goodies that actually-and I mean literally- give you a taste of other countries and cultures. 

​ I received a sample box from Try the World, and it arrived well packed, as shown above. ​ I took the green Try the World box out, opened it up and this is what I saw.  Looks interesting, right? (Especially that bit about winning an international vacation!)

I removed each of the items and gave them a close examination. Here's a better photo of everything that arrived in this one box:

Thirteen different items from 11 different countries!  The items ranged from ground coffee from the Dominican Republic to Lychee Gummy candy from Japan to a Banana Boost bar from Brazil and a Guava Nectar drink from Egypt. There were also cookies from Argentina, gummies from Colombia and even a stick of black licorice from Finland. (Plus another six items!)

Just a smorgasbord of treats from all over the world.  But even though the Try the World box says it is a box of snacks, that does not mean it's only enough food for one person. On the contrary, and I think this is one of the very best things about the Try the World boxes, they actually contain plenty of food for several people. It's more like an adventure and an invitation in a box, than just a bunch of snacks in a box. I shared the one box above with my family during the holidays and it was a huge hit!  We read about each item and then found its country of origin on a map. It was a great experience for us, and that brings me to my next point. 

​Who Should Subscribe to "Try the World?"

As I mentioned above, each box contains enough food for several people. Because of this, the Try the World snack boxes are perfect for three groups of people in particular.

1. Parents of College Students
At my parish, we collect names and addresses of our college students and send them care packages.  We stuff boxes full of snacks, prayer cards and even some letters from our younger students, all to remind our college students that, although they may be far away, they are still very much in our hearts and prayers. Every time that we have sent out these college care packages, we always receive an overwhelming response from our young adults. They simply love them. They don't feel alone. They know they are not forgotten.  Just imagine if they received a care package like this each month?!! Wow, what a difference that would make to them; what a connection they would feel. 

And remember those late-night cram sessions, fueled by coffee and ramen?  A Try the World snack box beats that menu hands down and might also give some encouragement and sustenance to roommates and friends living nearby.  What a great way to gently stay in touch with a child far from home.

2. Anyone with a Loved One in an Assisted Living Facility
It is a tragic statistic that close to 90% of people who live in nursing and assisted living facilities do not receive visitors. Ever. This is due to many different reasons of course, and my point here is not to point a finger or lay blame on anyone. Sometimes jobs take children far away from their elderly parents and they just can't physically get there. Sometimes, it is true, there have been significant disagreements between parent and child, and those disagreements have not been resolved. If nothing else, a Try the World box can work as a peace offering, if that's the case, or an "I Love You and I'm Thinking of You" reminder. 

Interestingly, a great deal of elderly folks don't have any dietary restrictions and they like cookies and gummies as much as we do. Additionally, they like to share their treats with their friends and tell them that "This is from my son/daughter/niece/nephew/cousin/anyone else."  So, receiving a Try the World box each month would truly be a celebration, a high point among days that are very much the same. 

3. Families Wanting to Live the Liturgical Year
Lastly, Try the World boxes are a fun and affordable way to learn about saints from other countries and some foods that are similar to what they might have eaten. The subscription service for Try the World offers the option of curating which countries you would like to visit the most. Although the specific items each month are chosen by the company, there are so many saints from so many different places around the world that it's pretty easy to choose a couple of saints and learn more about them that month. Pick one item from one country and then choose a saint from that country to learn more about.  See how many saints you can match to the countries the items are from! 

What are the Details?
As I mentioned above, a Try the World monthly box subscription is affordable. There are three different sizes of boxes: 
small: 7-9 snacks - as low as $25/month
medium: 12-14 snacks - as low as $40/month
large: 17-20 snacks - as low as $55/month

There are also several options for the length of your subscription:
one month (one time purchase)
three months (3 boxes)
six months (6 months)
a year (12 boxes)

For more information and to start your journey visit Try the World at https://trytheworld.com

Make 2024 the year you explore more of the world, send some love to the important people in your life, or gather together to enjoy a bite of life from other parts of the world. You may not make a big world trip this year, but that doesn't mean you can't still taste some of it.  Make this the year you Try the World!