I have always known I wanted to travel throughout my life. I lived for scenic views, road trips and new places. After going truly abroad for the first time my sophomore year (Canada doesn’t count for me. It's far too close to feel like I am somewhere new), I was hooked. I had gone with my high school advisor and my class, and after seeing her heavily-pinned world map, I longed to fill one up in the same way, marking each new place I went. With her as my constant inspiration, I knew I wanted to go everywhere she was going. It was awhile before I went abroad again.

In the last year, I have taken a few different trips. In March I went with my Spanish class to the Dominican Republic for a week where we took a class, visited a hospital and explored the town. In November, I visited my brother in Europe and hostel jumped with him for a week, exploring and meeting lots of people. More recently, this past month, I took a new sort of travel and went to Costa Rica with a group of 44 people who I had never met before and spent every day jumping from one exciting thing to the next -- staying in small hotels and going out almost every night.

This is a short list of what I have learned through these trips and the bits of advice I have for anyone who also wants to see as much as they can.

1. Souvenirs are not all they are cracked up to be

My first time abroad, I spent all my money on souvenirs. This for my mom, that for my sister, this for my second cousin once removed; It was crazy! Do you want to know how many of those souvenirs are still in existence or were completely used up? Not one! I also spent money on “non-touristy” gifts. This was also a bad move as people seemed to be happier when given something with “Paris” plastered across its face. Here are some tips:

• Buy gifts for only the people you want to bring something back for, like if you see something perfect that would mean a lot. The only exception to this rule is if you have someone who always brings something back for you or if someone helped you pay for your trip (I wouldn’t dream of not thanking my parents for their help).
• If you are buying gifts, keep them touristy. That is the point of souvenirs.
• Find something you like and stick to it. Some people collect magnets, others stickers, some like shot glasses. If you find one thing that you are out to buy, you’ll spend your money finding the perfect one rather than on ten different items.
• Lastly, go off the beaten path. Sometimes the best prices, nicest people and coolest knick-knacks are going to be found in small towns and tiny alleys. Going these ways will also show you new parts of where you are! Just stay safe. The first place you go will not usually be the only place you can find something, and it will likely not be the best price.

2. There are so many people in this world

I have met countless people while abroad. I truly learned the vastness of people when I was in Europe and Costa Rica. In Europe, I met someone new every day between hostel commons rooms and bar crawls. I spent over an hour talking to a 60-year-old couple as they told me how they sold everything to go abroad, and they helped a kid I had only known for six hours get back to his hostel at 3 a.m. when he couldn’t stand up. When I was in Costa Rica, I shared a bus, a bed and many great nights with brand new people. They listened to my stories, I got to hear theirs, and there is really something to be said for someone you just met sharing a zip-line ride with you across a valley. I met people who were extremely different from me, and some very similar, and it just opens up the world when you meet someone new.

3. And they may leave as fast as they came

One of the hardest lessons I have learned is that when you meet people abroad, they are so easily gone. I spent an afternoon in Barcelona with my brother, a guy from our hostel and a girl who was on our tour. I clicked really well with the girl, and we had been talking as we walked to the hostel. She needed to make a turn to go to hers so she broke away, said goodbye and carried on. I never saw her again. I don’t even remember her name. It is hard to resist collecting people, whether through facebook or phone numbers. I have a tendency to hope for permanent relationships with everyone I meet, but more often than not, they don’t last very long. This lesson is huge, as the ability to let people go is a hard but necessary task. Not everyone can stay, but you can always remember what they have said.

4. Documenting your trip is important

Whether through photographs or a written journal, there is a beauty in taking the time to document where you have been and what adventures you have gone on. I don’t remember much of what I did in Paris sadly, only the bits and pieces that I can pull together by looking at my photos and old itinerary. The best thing I ever did for myself was keep a small travel journal. It’s nothing fancy -- it is not going to get published -- but when I look back at my old entries I can remember what I did, who I met, what I ate and how I was feeling. I even wrote my first set of entries entirely in Spanish because I was in the DR! My book is filled with doodles, notes, vocabulary, glued-in ticket stubs and phone numbers. That is one of the most important things I own, and I can’t wait to fill it up and start another. I highly recommend keeping a journal.

5. Traveling can be affordable

The most expensive parts of traveling are the plane rides. However, there are countless articles written on how to use mileage cards, certain airlines and certain days of the week to make your travel much cheaper. Not only this, but hostels can cost you as little as $15 a night and food in many countries won’t break the bank if you stick to local foods. I always thought I would have to make loads of money every year just to go somewhere new, but I have seen that if you plan well and save up, traveling can be extremely affordable. My best tips are as follows:

• Stay away from super touristy places. Some are worth it, depending on who you are, but others are just tourist traps and not worth the money.
• Spend time seeing and not doing, like walking around a park, a cathedral or talking with hostel mates. These things are free and will likely make for great memories and great views.
• Eat local foods. When in Costa Rica, the cheapest thing on the menu was often a Casado, a typical plate with rice, beans, meat, plantain and potato. It was great, very filling, and often only ten bucks.
• If you are going to spend money, spend it on experience that will keep you engaged and will mean something to you -- something that you can only do when in that place. The difference between a night out drinking on a boat and a day hiking around a park can be huge when you are looking at your wallet.
• Take volunteer tours when available. In Barcelona, there were two tours every day that were absolutely free, but it was customary to tip, usually around $5. This is often a better tour for a smaller price.

6. It doesn’t much matter where you stay

I have stayed in pop-up beds, tents, fancy hotels, hostel top-bunks and occasionally floors, and they are really all the same. It doesn’t much matter where you sleep, it matters where you are. Obviously I don’t recommend making a habit of sleeping on floors, but save the money and stay in hostels or small family-run hotels. All you really need is a bed, maybe some breakfast and some security. All those fancy extras are nice, but I find that I am more excited to get up and get moving than to watch some TV when I am traveling so it’s really just paying for what you don’t need.

7. It’s OK to take a rest day

My Costa Rica trip was exhausting. Every day we were up at six in the morning, eating breakfast and leaving by seven, often after a long night that lasted until at least midnight. It was hot, humid and constantly raining as we hiked up mountains, walked along beaten paths, got lost in cities and sat in the sun. When we finally had a free afternoon, I took advantage right away and bathed and napped until it was dinner time. We all need a break; It's OK to take one, and it will make your next morning so much more enjoyable.

8. We live in a beautiful world

I cannot express this enough, our world is gorgeous. I live in a fairly pretty part of New York where there are lots of farms and small pretty towns, but it is not the most incredible landscape in the world. We see all these photos of far off places, and I think it is so hard to believe that these places actually exist and we can go to them! Here there are waterfalls so high you can’t see where they begin, hills that are so green you can’t believe they aren’t photoshopped, animals that don’t seem to be real until they move and water so clear you can see the tiny shrimp scuttle across the floor! It is so hard to describe with words or pictures what it feels like to look up at the sky and try to take in each and every last star as they fill up the darkness.

There is beauty to be found everywhere you go, but sometimes the views that will really make you drop your jaw are the ones that are far away. It’s all just a plane, train, boat or walk away. See what there is to see, put down the camera and take it in. We live in an absolutely beautiful world.

So if you are drooling at the thought of being somewhere new, know that you can do it and that it will be worth every penny. Find a friend, go alone, sign up for a travel group and just go! Adventure is out there, you just have to take the first step.

Dedicated to my brother and the friends I made in Costa Rica. Here is to many more trips together!

* Not all places are made equal. La Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona can cost a hefty $18. Plan accordingly if you have something you just have to see.

* I highly recommend EF Tours. I went with them to Paris, London and Costa Rica. They may cost a pretty penny, but they are well worth it. Check out EF College Break.