Let’s talk about travel. While it’s constantly thrown out at us that vacations and getaways are amazing ways to de-stress and unwind, to do so can often be financially difficult. Airfare aside, the cost of Airbnbs, food, and transportation upon arrival can be incredibly daunting. For these reasons and more, I had always considered overseas travel to be a bucket list item–something that I would like to do, but had no realistic intention of actually doing. It felt like if I were to travel, it would be me somehow catching a lucky break.
All of that changed when I moved to Seattle for my education. Building a home 2,000 miles away from my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio lit a kind of fire in me that could only be put out by expanding my perspective, via travel. With Canada being only a $30 bus ride away and with the sheer number of students on campus coming from all different areas of the world, I felt inspired to travel more, and travel further. This year, I made a goal to travel overseas, off the continent, for the very first time. This is where my lucky break comes in.
Enter my brilliant and lifelong friend, Andrew. This semester, he has taken on the immense privilege of studying abroad in London, and has inspired me in all that he has been able to experience and accomplish during his time. Having connected in our shared hometown in the summer, we were prepared to say farewell til December, when we would both arrive in Ohio for the holiday break. And then, one random day in August, I decided to do a little flight search. Fast forward a few weeks–after saving each paycheck, tracking flight costs, and preparing my academic quarter to accommodate leaving, I decided to just do it. For a cost that wasn’t much more than a typical round-trip flight to my hometown, I was now going to London, staying with my best friend, and everything was set.
The point of this is not to pat myself on the back and congratulate myself for making this trip happen. None of it felt real, and the whole time I was in London, I repeatedly asked Andrew to pinch me. No way that I’m here, he’s here, and I’m 7,000 miles away from my life. But it wasn’t a dream. The point I want to make is that it doesn’t have to be a far-fetched thing. The world has so much to offer you, and it’s ultimately up to you to reap its benefits. There is something deeply validating and eye-opening about traveling to a new country and diving into a new culture. No matter if you’re studying abroad, visiting extended family, or (like me) going for a 3-day weekend, the experience will undoubtedly be worth it. While it can feel anxiety-inducing and uncomfortable, there is something deeply, inherently human about displacing, then replacing yourself. When you think about it, we have to find our place, and re-find our place, every single day. To travel is to do it on your own accord, and the independence and knowledge you gain from it is a beautiful, freeing thing that will endure well beyond your trip. “Travel is knowledge is empathy is change.” The world is your oyster, just waiting for you to find it. I hope you take the leap. Safe travels, readers.
P.S. – Looking back on these photos, y’all can understand why this trip felt like an dream, through and through. Also, there’s Andrew and me in front of Buckingham Palace! I could not be more grateful.