The world has become a much smaller place due to the birth of the internet. People also travel more now that they are virtually connected to others all over the world. When I was growing up traveling to places like Europe or Japan seemed very unlikely unless your family was very well off. Even then, if you did get to go somewhere like that, it would have only been to one place because traveling was so costly and extensive.
Now, if you want to travel you can book a flight in minutes with the ease of the internet or for what it is worth you can take a virtual tour of the place you would like to see. You can also talk to people overseas for very little cost or even for free using a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) such as Skype.
As a child when we lived far from someone the cost of long distance was enough to keep our calling to a minimum, let alone call anyone overseas! Now, thanks to the internet, I can talk with my family and friends virtually anywhere that they are, and do it for next to nothing! The world truly is becoming a smaller place!