I am very grateful to be able to say—and remember—that I have traveled to several parts of the U.S. and Europe. Visiting these places and experiencing their unique cultures has helped shape me into the person I am today, and will help shape my future as well. I strongly believe that traveling can change your life for a number of reasons.
The first is that you can experience history through travel. Anywhere you choose to go, you can find a place that is steeped in history, whether it is a park, a building, a museum or an entire town. Even if you’ve seen pictures or learned about this place in a history class, you will connect with it so much more deeply if you see it right in front of you. You will learn much more than you could learn from far away, perhaps discovering stories you had never heard before or even simply by being there instead of only hearing about it or looking at a picture. The historical place you experience may or may not be a well-known one; you may find that discovering a new place will allow you to discover history you did not know before.
Through traveling, I developed a taste for several different foods (tapas in Spain) and developed an appreciation for architecture that I did not have before (thank you London, Prague, Monte Carlo and Milan). Experiencing the culture of places you had not visited before allows you to learn more about not only the countries you visit, but also about yourself.
Traveling also gives you a new perspective. Maybe your professor mentions a particular place in class and you know exactly what she’s talking about because you’ve been there. Or possibly you’re watching a TV show that’s supposed to be set somewhere and you can tell it’s not accurate because you traveled there last year. You may be reading a book set in the same place you went for spring break––and you’re better able to picture the setting. The possibilities are endless.
As I am young, I still have a lot of places to go; a lot of places I want to go. And this desire is fueled by the traveling I have already done so far.
Visiting Milan
Part of the remainder of the Berlin Wall.
Visiting La Pedrera/Casa Mila in Barcelona
The view from the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center in New York