Coming from such a small place like Madison County, Ohio, I can't help but wonder what else is out there in the world. I come from a place where almost everything and everyone is the same. It's been that way for years. When you come to Madison County, you can expect corn fields, Republicans, and lots of pizza. I want to go places where the unexpected it possible and it's not just the same old same old for years upon years.

I have a lot of opinions and beliefs of my own, just like the next person, but I want to see the ins and outs of a place. I want to know why they choose to do things a certain way without judging others first, especially if it's the opposite of America. I want to form opinions on culture and place completely unlike where I come from. I think there is so much to learn from others, and that's one of the reasons why I am in the communication field.

A couple that is close family friends of mine is retired and spend a lot of their free time traveling. It seems as if they are always jetting off to some new place or an old place that they can't get enough of. I aspire to be successful in life so I can see the world someday the way they have together. The knowledge that they bring home with them and the stories they share along with it are so empowering. They have become such well-rounded individuals just by exploring our world and the people, culture, beliefs, etc. that fill it.

I want to understand the world on top of getting to know it. I want to see why some places are super poor and others are extremely rich. I want to see places that have been hardly touched by humans and compare it to places with large amounts of civilization. I want to witness firsthand popular tourist attractions, rather than seeing them on Google Images. I want to gain knowledge that can impact my own world and way of living.

Going to college in Kentucky has been an experience within itself. I never knew the people I would meet here and how diverse of campus it could be. When I decided to transfer, I never thought that a three-hour car ride south would bring me into a whole other universe. It's crazy to compare how differently Kentucky does things compared to Ohio. I can only imagine comparing my two homes to a place like New Zealand, for example.

As of right now, I can mark 15 states and Canada off my list of places I've been to. I can't wait to see those states and countries grow in numbers for me as I do as well. I plan to hit all 50 states and every continent (excluding Antartica) at least once!