All travel is valuable. Being able to see new sights, to visit important landmarks and to immerse yourself in culturally and (often) linguistically different places is a wonderful experience, be it one town, state or province away, or an ocean away.
Whichever length of trip one takes, the most important element at the outset, in my opinion, is the choice between being a tourist who more or less passively absorbs, and choosing to be a critical observer — one who willingly and deliberately complicates the picture of the place which he/she visits.
