When thinking about home, 20-year-old Julie Branson has a hard time pinning one down. She has 11 different houses to sort through and six different states to choose from. Branson is no stranger to adventure, thanks in part to her father’s active duty in the Coast Guard. Born on an Air Force base in Illinois, she’s made the rounds through Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Maryland. For a while, she was able to call each of these places home. The longest Branson has spent in one place was six years in Maryland, so it’s no wonder she’s found familiarity by tapping into her wanderlust.
“This kind of inspired my passion to travel because I’m somewhat accustomed to experiencing new places and people. I get bored with the same thing for too long,” Branson said.
Branson is eager to experience as many cultures and lifestyles as possible. She’s spent time in Italy, Switzerland and France for a few weeks during her high school career, but it only left her hungry for more. She plans to spend her first semester of the 2017-2018 school year with her feet on foreign soil. Her top pick is Ireland, but she’s also interested in Wales and Australia.
Though the cultures and languages may be foreign, the feeling of adventure and newfound possibility is not. It’s what Branson loves most about traveling, and she hopes to do it as often as she can in her future.