I was born and raised on the east coast and it's also the only coast I've ever seen. I've seen mountains in New York, but I've never seen the mountains of California. I've never felt the temperature difference between the Atlantic and the Pacific. I've only ever submerged my toes in one ocean. There are seven seas and seven wonders of the world that are complete mysteries to me.

There are fifty states in America alone and I've never explored them. Never really explored them. I've seen the inside of bars and clubs. But I've never seen the inside of a real rainforest. I've never had the South American heat punch me in the lungs. I've never felt the water from a foreign waterfall drip down my shoulder blades and soak my hair. I've never felt exotic sands in between my toes.

I've visited animals in captivity at various zoos and aquariums. I've seen polar bears sit in isolation behind the thick glass of a tank. I've seen dolphins do various tricks based on the hand motions that their trainers gave them. But I've never been kayaking with a pod of orcas during their migration period. I've never healed an elephant back to health in Thailand. I've never seen a lion in its natural habitat.

I've been to concerts and music festivals. I have seen musicians and artists that I enjoy. But I have never heard the music of a different culture with my own ears. Only through television speakers. I have heard music from the guitars of people in New York City, but I have never heard what street music sounds like in Asia, or Africa, or London.

I know the ins and outs of New York City. It's never been that hard for me to follow the grid system. But I want to see Paris. I want to eat pizza in Rome. I want to dance in Barcelona. I want to see the canals of Amsterdam. I want to explore where others have been. I want to explore the unexplored, as well.

I yearn for the unknown. My heart belongs to the forests and mountains and seas and cities where people breathe a different kind of air. But my feet are firmly planted in the state that I've always known.

I'm a college student. I'm already in thousands of dollars of debt. Summers are dedicated to saving money and all of the other months are dedicated to essays and studying and midterms and finals. After I graduate, I will follow in the footsteps of everyone who came before me. I will get an internship or begin my career. I will stop dedicating my time to school, and dedicate all of my time to work. I will get a few vacation days, which will never be enough. I will start a family and get old with someone that I love. And when I am old, I will be too tired to explore.

I want to be a free spirit, but I don't know how.