I moved from my comfortable home in Kentucky to a cute little town in Germany when I was 16 years old.

During my junior and senior years of high school, I traveled to nine different countries, over 20 cities, and had the time of my life. I was enthralled by the languages, cultures, and people of the world. I soon learned that every country is different and every country had something new to teach me about the world and about myself.

I learned not to be afraid of traveling. It was completely normal to hop on a train and ride to a new city on any given weekend. Our favorite places to visit were Regensburg, Rothenburg, and Trier. When we weren't riding the train, we would take a drive and go on a day trip to places like Prague. For someone who is a homebody by nature, this was an important lesson for me to learn. It's okay to get up and go somewhere, anywhere. I had to learn not to let the world intimidate me.

My favorite part of my European experience was the food, of course! We had crepes outside the Louvre in Paris, schnitzel at a family owned restaurant in Parsberg, and gelato in Venice. Every culture is thoroughly expressed in the food. It was almost as if you could taste the history, the authenticity, and the love of the culture in each bite.

In every country, there was history at every turn of our heads. Every building had its own story. In Paris, we saw Notre Dame and walked the Champs-Elysees. In Prague, we crossed the Charles Bridge and bought art and jewelry from local artists. And in Croatia, we lied on the beach and got to see the only doorway standing in the war torn city of Poreč in Croatia.

I think the most important thing I learned about myself was just not to be afraid to be completely immersed in the whole experiences. Without experiences, are we really living life? Not everything can be seen from the couch and until we moved, I realized that my eyes had not really been opened to what the world had to offer. Now, I can't wait to go back.