So Here I Am…

So here I am…

… sitting in the middle of a crowded café in Paris, riding the subway in Amsterdam, or being followed by children in India…

I began traveling when I was quite young. My mom would hop on plane after plane, taking my special needs sister to the best doctors in the nation, and I was their loyal “travel buddy”. It is less than surprising that traveling with a special needs child is difficult, but those early days of discomfort made me more open to difficult situations and new people.

Travel for me has never been about the Instagram-perfect pictures (yet I’ve become quite skilled in the art of the perfect snap), it’s been about the experiences I’ve taken home. The moments I’ve found to be the most eye opening are those spent with locals.

With every trip I have a memorable moment with a local. Through travel I learned that if you present yourself with respect and kindness, people will often return tenfold.

I’m incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity of seeing the world from multiple perspectives. I’ve traveled with my grandparents, who provided an incredibly mature and respectful approach to learning about a different culture; I spent a month traveling with a museum group, and received an amazingly well rounded education through their leadership; I’ve traveled with my friends, where I felt like the parent trying to corral her children onto the plane or off of the bus. I think international travel helps widen the perspective of all walks of life- if you do it with an open mind.

Although, I suppose I never really viewed staying in your local town as travel. In many ways I have allowed myself to believe that not everyone can be a traveler- but they truly can. Travel is anywhere outside of one’s “comfort bubble”- the shell which we use to protect ourselves daily- a routine. True knowledge is gained from stepping outside of that bubble and into the fresh air of a different environment.

I don’t claim to be perfect, my bubbles do exist. Oftentimes I’ll find myself wanting to revert back into my comfort zone, whether it be by attending my usual restaurant or isolating myself from new friends, I have a constant internal battle to get myself out there. Expanding your horizons isn’t meant to be easy. Travel is meant to be challenging, but the reward is never-ending.

I wanted to take this class to express my gratitude for where I’ve been and where I’m going. I think my travels to come will be forever enriched by this class.

So here I am, sitting in my dorm, dreaming about where I’m going to go next.