At a young age, my parents always took me on vacation wherever they went. Growing up, I visited many places within the United States. My total today is 19. My parents aren’t millionaires, but we were fortunate enough to plan a vacation each year and go somewhere new. This instilled within me a love and passion for traveling and learning about different cultures.

When I was in high school, my history teacher presented some of her students with an opportunity to travel abroad and go to France and Spain. With a little convincing, my parents agreed and that summer I was off to Europe. My first trip overseas was everything I had imagined. It put life into perspective at the age of 17; America was just a small part of the whole world. From then on, I had an itch to go anywhere and everywhere.

The older I became the more responsibilities and bills I had to pay. Like everyone in the world, traveling was not considered a priority anymore. School, work, friends, and family became my main priorities.

One night in bed, I realized I was in a routine and I wasn’t happy. I knew that I needed a change. I thought to myself, “why am I not doing what I love?” That night I decided to book a trip, and my first stop was Hawaii. My best friend moved out there a couple years prior and it was a perfect time to go out. I ended up staying for 2 weeks and loved every second of it.

My next venture was to Curaçao, a small island near the tip of South America. It was very relaxing and just what I needed at the time. The year after was more of an adventure, and I traveled to Costa Rica with my best friend. It was exciting to share a new journey with someone else. We did many excursions and saw a lot of wild life.

My last adventure was the biggest adventure so far in my life. Starting my new job teaching, I didn’t even considering going away for spring break. It was planned in a month, but it was executed perfectly. When Peru was suggested I immediately said YES. Peru holds one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It also has the biggest and most important lake in South America. I am usually not one to be lost for words, but not only were the views breathtaking, the history behind this country is astonishing. Machu Picchu, which is one of the Wonders of the World, is settled in the Andes Mountains near 8,000 feet high. It was built in the 15^th century and was abandoned by its people, the Inca, in fear of being discovered when the Spanish were colonizing Peru. Fortunately, it was never discovered and is very much intact today.

Most people want to travel, but they always have an excuse as to why they can’t go. Stop making excuses and just do it! Every year pick a new place to go and just book it. There will never be a "perfect" time to go, so why not now?