Q: I hope that doesn't come off in a bad way. I just wonder what it's like there. I dream of traveling everywhere.
A: The Middle East isn't all like Iraq or Afghanistan - some parts of it are very safe. Turkey, Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (especially Dubai), Tunisia, and Morocco all have significant tourist industries. Many parts of the Middle East have ancient ruins, beautiful mosques, churches, and synagogues, many other historic and religious sights, traditional markets, excellent beaches, and great food. Importantly, visiting the Middle East allows you to see firsthand the realities, positive (mostly) and negative (a few) of a part of the world that most Americans know very little about and often have a lot of misconceptions of.