This might sound like a pretty morbid thing to ask, but have you ever wondered what your last words or thoughts will be? Will you think to yourself, "Man, I've done it all," or will you wonder what could have been in store had you lived your life in just a slightly different way? In my opinion, a life isn't lived until it has been exposed to the many wonders traveling provides.
In my youth, I had one thought when it came to travel--I don't need it. All I ever knew was the state I'd been born in, and I always thought that it was all there was to the world. It wasn't until I turned 10 that this perspective started to change.
I was a military brat. My dad was in the Air Force and just recently received an assignment in Stavanger, Norway. Being the stubborn child that I was, I objected to the idea of shifting when I was first told--like I had any say in the matter. But even though I knew that I didn't, I persisted. I felt as though I had no other option.
Moving meant that I had to leave everything I knew behind, my family, my friends, everything I had grown up with and became accustomed to. It all started to vanish. This attitude didn't change much once we arrived, either.
Nineteen hours is what it took to fly there from my home. That fact alone was more than enough to convince my 10-year-old self that this whole trip was a bad idea. So, after a ton of ear popping, consistent gum chewing and yawning, we finally landed. Automatically, I thought the place was weird and would be even weirder to adjust to.
We spent the remainder of that summer doing exactly that--adjusting. Even though it was summer, we had to wear jackets. Even when the clocks said that it was midnight, we were still surrounded by plenty of sunlight. I remember wondering if it was always going to be like this, a constant struggle to adjust to a climate and culture that I was unfamiliar with. But then a certain event took place some time later that changed that thought.
My younger brother and I were enrolled in an international school. That was when my harsh opinions on Norway started to lessen and my appreciation for travel began. The school allowed me a plethora of experiences. I was in fifth grade when I entered and right off the bat, we were exploring the country.
We were taken to a camp-like area in the mountains, a Leirskole, for a week that was called Gullingen, where the residents taught us about the Norwegian culture. We were shown how to carve figures into wood with knives, how to gut a fish, hiked through snowy mountains and even enjoyed the luxurious hot tub that was provided.
I'll never forget how my friends and I would hop in with the intention of soaking for a while, only to fly out of it seconds later and roll around in the snow because the water got too hot. We were in so much pain, but at the same time, we loved it. There were two other Leirskoles like it in the following years I was there, but that first one, Gullingen, will always stay with me. It was where I saw snow for the first time.
Sixth grade pretty much came and went, but that summer is still the best I ever had. My mom's brother lived in Germany at the time and we would occasionally drive over to visit him and his family. That summer, we did exactly that, only we decided to mix things up a bit. We flew to Madrid, Spain, where I discovered the wonder that is authentic Spanish paella.
That was practically the only thing I ate while I was there, aside from this rad pizza that was topped with spaghetti. That's right, you read it correctly. It was a pizza with spaghetti on top! We stayed there for two days, where we then embarked on the real part of our journey. The cruise.
It was the largest ship I had ever seen, illustrated with multicolored gems and a title so appropriate, I nearly laughed. We traveled all through Europe on that ship. Our first stop was Barcelona, Spain, where I partook in gazing at the beaches and wild winds that ruled over the waves. It really was a sight to behold, though I pitied anyone that actually tried to surf on those things.
Malta was the next stop. It was hot. That's all I can really say about it. Then we got to my favorite part of the trip, Italy. Having just recently studied Rome and its mythology, I was very excited about this one. We first traveled to Pompeii, where I shared all of my knowledge about the place with my family.
The leaning Tower of Pisa was next on the list. Unfortunately, it had become too much of a tourist sight and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. Then there was the Roman Coliseum. It was just as majestic as I always thought it would be. All of the pictures I had seen of it in my history book paled in comparison to actually seeing it. And then there was the pizza. If you thought Pizza Hut was great, oh man! These things were the real deal. One slice was as big as your entire plate!
Seventh grade's highlight was definitely Barcelona. Those of us who took Spanish classes embarked on a trip to Barcelona, Spain, where we would live and go to school with one of the many residents. It was fantastic. I learned so much about the students and their everyday lives, as well as their food preferences. They really liked bread but had a really cool way of making it. I even went to an actual Barca game in the stadium, which I must say, had me hooked on soccer for a while after--and I don't even like sports.
But eventually, all of the fun had to come to an end. My dad received another assignment, this one being back in the States. By that time, I was actually sad to leave. I had made so many good friends and memories in Europe and didn't want to go. But, just like at the start of this journey, I had no say.
My perspective on America, after everything I had experienced, changed completely. I no longer saw it as the only place in the world, but instead, just one small part of it. I still think that way about it, even now.
Traveling does more than just change your perspective, though. It changes you as well. You start to realize that there is more to the world than just the one tiny space that you grew up in. You realize that there are cultures out there that are completely different from your own, ones that invite you to learn about and incorporate into your own. It creates relationships and experiences that you would have never possessed if you just stayed in one place your whole life.
I made so many friends back in Europe, not just in Norway; I'm still in contact with some of them even now. In fact, it might just be because of Norway that I'm the way I am now. I'm now eager to learn all that I can about the world, to see it, experience it.
Norway itself was a truly wonderful place. It opened the doors to so many experiences. But the thing I'll remember the most is whenever we would drive back from an event. Seeing that place, especially at night, where the lights of the city reflected off of the water like thousands of tiny gems, truly was the greatest thing to see.
I understand that travel might have a different effect on others, but for me, it was like something out of a dream--a dream that I hope to return to one day.
