If you are like me and have a strong desire to travel and explore the world, you probably have these issues on a daily basis.
- You can’t focus.
While other people procrastinate by online shopping or scrolling through Facebook, you have another way to "waste" your time. Looking at travel blogs, researching trips, or simply just admiring beautiful pictures from around the world, your methods of procrastination are all better than studying. Forget being in the library; I want to go on a hike
2. You have a hard time finding people like you.
Anyone else want to spend their entire summer in Africa? Or explore villages in Thailand? The answer is usually a hard no or a sarcastic yes. However, no need to worry; all you need is that one friend who is down for a backpacking trip. And adventuring by yourself can be pretty great too.
3. Time….and money.
These two are a given. Being a college student, it’s hard to find time and money to just drop everything and travel. I worked at a sleepaway camp this summer and was lucky enough to make friends from South Africa, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, England and many more amazing places. Try to make as many connections as you can in countries all over the world; you will always have somewhere to stay. There are also programs that offer travel grants and places to stay, so do your research.
4. Your parents are hesitant to let you explore.
You have to understand where they’re coming from, though. It’s hard to send your 20 year old to a foreign country and trust them to make the best decisions. I would not suggest dropping out of school and living in the woods like Chris McCandless from “Into The Wild,” but there are certainly other ways to travel and explore, that are both safe and parent-friendly. Convince them that the values you learn while living in other countries are not something that can be taught inside a classroom.
5. Too many places, too little time.
If you’re like me, you already know that choosing where to study abroad is going to be one of the hardest decisions of your life. Every place is amazing. “Sydney sounds unreal, but so does Cape Town, and so does Florence… and Semester at Sea would be an experience of a lifetime.” A similar inner monologue happens to you all the time as well. But whatever place you choose, you know you will make the best of it, and you will travel to other countries on the weekends (obviously).
Everyone deserves the chance to enrich themselves in other cultures and gain experiences around the world. Until that opportunity presents itself, take every chance you can to get outside and go on mini-adventures. You have a special trait that makes you stand out from the rest, so use it for your advantage. Stay positive, fellow-explorers. You will see the world one day, and you will love every second of it.
