This past summer, my best friends and I decided to fit as much fun as we could before going back to school for the last time before graduation. Although we were in three different locations, we were determined to make the most out of our summer vacation.
Starting in May, I visited seven different cities, including New York City, Las Vegas, and Altoona, Pennsylvania, which were all incredible experiences in their own ways. In addition to providing very fun and happy memories, every city taught me something that helped me grow as a person. So, in case you were wondering, here is a list of a few things my summer of travels taught me!
New York City: It’s okay to be scared for the future.
Kicking off my summer of travels was a quick four-day trip to the Big Apple in May. This is a yearly tradition for my friends and me, with this past summer being the third year in a row. We planned this trip to be our one final “hurrah” before we all split up for our summer internships. My internship for the summer was hours away from home, meaning I’d be completely alone in a new environment. Unlike college, which is also several hours away from home, I would be completely alone, with no friends or my boyfriend to help me and spend time with. Because of this, along with other factors, I was so anxious to start my internship. I assumed that my friends had everything figured out for their internships and were looking forward to them, simply because I never heard them express any concerns. However, one afternoon at brunch, we all had a heart-to-heart conversation about how we all were nervous to start our internships. This conversation was eye-opening for me, and I suddenly understood that my feelings about the future were valid. I realized that I wasn’t the only one scared about the near future, and feeling scared was completely okay and even normal.Â
Altoona, Pennsylvania: How to be comfortable being alone.
This past summer, my internship was located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, which is a three and a half hour drive from home. Although it was not incredibly far, it was far enough to feel completely alone. I didn’t know anyone there, and I didn’t even know the area. Although I go to school out of state, I have my friends and my boyfriend there, so I never felt completely alone. But going out of state for my internship was completely different. However, as the days went by, I started learning how to adapt to the new area, and even picked up a new hobby of crocheting! What once was so frightening to me finally became manageable and even familiar. Being in Altoona helped me learn how to be comfortable with being alone.
Las Vegas, Nevada: How to effectively budget.
For the Fourth of July weekend, my friends and I decided to visit Las Vegas to see The Weeknd live, as well as just to tour the city. So, my friends and I all hopped onto planes in three different cities and met up at Harry Reid International Airport before Ubering to our hotel. Of course, Vegas being Vegas, everything was extremely expensive, and we quickly learned that we needed to set strict budgets during our quick weekend trip, especially if we wanted the money we’ve made from our internship to last longer than two days. Because of budgeting, we were able to enjoy the city, especially with budget-friendly sights like the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, and not break the bank in one weekend. Visiting Las Vegas helped me understand how to effectively budget on trips, while still doing most of the things we wanted to do.
Although this list only includes three out of the seven cities I visited, these three lessons are what I consider the most valuable lessons that I have learned so far while traveling.