“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
― Lao Tzu

Ever since I was little, I've had this wonder of traveling. Whether it was watching movies taken in magical places, playing with my toys on a castle or jungle, or actually traveling to places like Disney World, I've always been intrigued on the idea of leaving what I know and encountering the unknown. I've always been a lover of learning about how people in different places interact and the culture that comes with it.

For the first 16 years of my life, I remained in the United States. I only knew the Philadelphian suburbs, but I kept having this feeling of branching out and exploring new territory. That finally came in the summer of 2012 where me and 40 other students at my school went on a 19 day trip with teacher chaperones to Paris, France and Barcelona, Spain.

I at first was uneasy about my first experience abroad. Would I like it? Would I feel comfortable? How would it change me as a person? And even arriving on the first day in Paris after my flight, I felt a little woozy. My stomach ached, my head hurt, and the culture shock quickly came in: I was not in Folsom, Pennsylvania any longer.

Eventually though, with the help of a nice support system of fellow students, I finally hit my stride and started to ingratiate myself in the new cities that I was visiting. In Paris, I took a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, I ate snails for the first time, and I saw the Mona Lisa as well.

In Barcelona, I walked down the streets the Cheetah Girls sang in, I saw La Sagrada Familia, and I looked at Gaudi's art. I even ventured through Pamplona, where the bull races are held, Normandy, where D-Day was, and Mallorca, a small island close to Spain. Coming back as a newly-ventured 16 year old, I was a confident traveler, ready to go wherever life took me.

After getting the traveling bug, I looked for a college that was big on study abroad opportunities, and was immediately drawn to Arcadia University. Ranked #1 in study abroad, I knew this was the school that would take me on as many adventures as possible.

My first experience happened the Spring Break of 2015, also known as Preview, where students could go to a country for 1 week after taken classes on campus. I went to Florence, Italy, and had the time of my life. I got to encounter real authentic Italian food, got to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and even spent a day in Rome, being right next to the Coliseum. It was a nice little taste of Europe once again, and further continued my knowledge of the world outside of the United States.

And here I am now, planning on starting my next adventure as we speak. I am going to study abroad next semester in London, England, and encounter a different way of living once again. This will be my longest journey so far, lasting 4 months, but I am super excited and ready for all the adventures along the way. France, Spain, Italy, and all the traveling dreams I've had in my childhood have prepared me for this moment. Traveling has become part of my blood, and I'm ready to soar once again.

"To travel is to live."
- Hans Christian Anderson