Dear travel,

I wanted to take this time to tell you how much I love and value you. Seriously, nothing else has made me feel so free and happy. You have taught me how to enjoy being alone and how to enjoy being surrounded by other people. You are my motivation to work hard so I can continue seeing the world. You are the postcards and flags that cover my walls and the memories that fill my heart. You are the countdowns that I have on my calendars that give me something to wait for when it’s cold and snowy outside. You are the stamps that fill my passport and the long lines in airports that fill me with excitement. You are the stories that I will tell my children and my grandchildren someday, urging them to explore when they are young. You are the smells and sights that catch me by surprise and remind me that life is worth living to its fullest.

Thank you for being my escape when I’ve needed you most. There is something so wonderful about being able to hop on a plane and leave everything else behind when there seems to be no other remedy. Thank you for giving me the confidence to venture out on my own and to make mistakes. Nothing prepares you more for real life than nearly missing a flight or a train: it’s okay; you just grab the next one and carry on. Thank you for being there when I am sad and need reminded that I still have a million more places to visit around the world--that there are thousands of places just waiting for me to step off the plane.

You have filled my life with color and music, delicious food and sunny days. Whether it is a small village or a large city, you have shown me that I can truly be happy anywhere on earth. You have given me a new appreciation for the one life that I get to live, and you have made it worth all the while. Even better are the people that you have allowed me to meet, the unforgettable friends that I now have across the globe. There is not much else that I can say other than thank you for being my lifelong companion and for showing me how beautiful the world can be.

Love,

A lifelong traveler