To travel is to be blessed. It opens my eyes to new experiences that I have never thought possible. Overall, travelling helped me to grow up. There’s something about being in a different setting that gives you a new perspective; there’s so much more to the good life than just the amazing photo ops. The good life is traveling. The good life is growing. The good life is living and learning.

Traveling is a lot. Those four words can’t truly describe how difficult and joyous it can be. First there’s the planning. Up until this summer, I hadn’t ever travelled alone. I wasn’t just traveling alone – I was traveling to another country. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, it can be a lot; especially with the events that are occurring around the world right now. In the end, however, it’s worth every penny and every second of your time.

I want to live a life where I can learn from people. I want to continue visiting other countries and gaining new experiences. I’ll never say that, after spending some time in a new city or country, that I can truly understand the people. Honestly, I think it would take me a few years, if ever, to truly understand the people of another country. At the end of the day, you can never count anyone out. The simplest interactions with a person in another country can tell you so much.

In my opinion, the good life is experience. The good life is meeting new people and gaining new experiences. I look forward to the day when I won’t be able to count all of the places I have visited. I look forward to the day that I can say “I’ve seen it,” and teach my children to value these experiences, just as my parents have taught me. The world is an amazing place. The sights are breathtaking, and the food just keeps getting better – let’s be real. I truly believe that with hard work comes triumph. I work hard every day so that I will be able to keep moving forward, collecting memories at every stop.