Ever since I can remember, I’ve always had the urge to leave my hometown and explore what the world has to offer. The world is filled with so many interesting people and places, so why not try and see as much of it as possible? It’s nothing against my family or even the tiny suburb I grew up in, it’s just who I am.
If I stay put in one place for too long, I start to go a tad stir-crazy. Seriously, I revert into a weird funk and it’s just not a good time for anyone. Lucky for me, the solution to my problem can be as simple as going to a new coffee shop. On the other hand, it can be as extreme as booking a plane ticket to a new destination. As long as it’s somewhere new, I’m interested. It also depends on how risky I’m feeling on that particular day, oh, and my bank account may play an important role.
Seriously though, it is really amazing to think of all the world has to offer. From tropical islands to snow capped mountains, the possibilities are literally endless. With each new place comes a new culture to learn about, along with new people to meet. Each and every person you meet will impact your life in some way, good or bad. They may not cause you to have a huge life-altering epiphany, but they will definitely teach you a thing or two about life.
There is much to see outside of the city you grew up in. Once you make your way out, it’s like your eyes are opened up to a whole new world. You start to see the differences in people and the differences in the ways people go about their lives. To me, that is the most fascinating part of the whole experience, seeing how different your life is from someone else's.
Being in college, it can be a bit challenging to plan a trip somewhere outside of the little bubble you have created for yourself. So I like to improvise and I encourage you to do the same. Living in New York City sort of gives me an advantage but don't let that discourage you. For me, it is incredibly easy to explore an area I’ve never been to or to wander into a new shop. It’s almost refreshing to go somewhere new, refreshing but slightly anxiety-inducing, in a good way.
If your budget will not allow you to travel far from your borders, even talking to a new person will suffice. One individual can teach you a lot. Chances are you come from different backgrounds and can learn a lot from each other. Never underestimate the impact you can have on someone else’s life.
In the future I definitely have high hopes to travel as much as my bank account will allow me. But for now, I will continue to suffer a particularly intense case of wanderlust and continue to caffeinate my body with various variations of coffee.