"To travel is to live."- Hans Christian Andersen

Over the years I have developed a love for traveling. I am always planning a trip somewhere. Recently, I've been traveling so much that people ask me if I stay home for more than a day at a time. Well the truth is, I would rather not. I want to travel. I will be starting my senior year of college in August and I will graduate in May. That means that I will be entering the "real world" and I don't know when I will be able to travel then.

Since my love of travel has developed, I have been fortunate enough to travel. I have traveled to Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York (my favorite place ever), North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Since school ended in May, I have had the opportunity to go to three different places in Florida (Pensacola, Tampa, and Orlando), Baltimore, and Nashville. I have discovered that every time I travel somewhere, I learn something new.

1. It makes you get out of your comfort zone.

Growing up in a small town was fun, but I want to get out and explore. Traveling anywhere, even just to the next state over, teaches you to relate to the world on a whole different level. Everyone and every state is different. Accept the differences. Traveling allows you to understand different cultures and languages better. It helps you have a better understanding of the world.

2. You form new relationships.

This is so true. You always meet new people when you go on trips, whether it be on the airplane or a restaurant. I have made so many friends in New York; I consider them family. Yes, they are mostly all older than me and they work at the hospital that my dad is a patient of, but they are still my friends and family.

3. You don't focus on yourself as much.

Before I started traveling, I really knew nothing about life, which is scary. Traveling gives you the opportunity to learn. You quickly learn that the world does not revolve around you, but in a good way. It can open many doors to opportunities that you never knew existed, like internships and community service projects. One of my favorite things about travel is that it is about you. It's about where you want to go and what you want to take away from the experiences.

These are the main reasons I love to travel. I encourage you to travel whenever you can. I have a bucket list of places that I want to travel to in my life time. My bucket list includes places near and far, and yes- I want to travel to every MLB park and watch a game (check out my last article- I'm Not A Cleat Chaser). For now, I'll be planning my next trip. Where should I go?