How do you know when you have found home?

For me, I do not think I have yet, and to be honest, I wonder if I will find it until I have travelled more.

See, I long for a place I have not been: Europe. I am not sure why, but I have always felt a connection to the history and cultures of the continent and I am not alone in this feeling. It may not be Europe, but everyone has this one place where they want to visit. It could be just an hour from where you grew up, across the country or it could be on the other side of this planet.

For some, they are lucky and get to see their special place when they are young, because now they could have a better understanding of where they belong and want to make their home. For those that are not that lucky, they have to wait years, even a lifetime, before they get to experience that place their heart longs for.

It is not to say that those that get the opportunity to travel are better off than those that do not get to see the place they have dreamed of. Sometimes you could be disappointed, but that is not always a bad thing. If it happens, then it could be that you have confirmed that the place you started, or somewhere similar, is where you make your life. On the other hand, you could find that your dream place really is just that, and you end up living in your dream place.

If you are one of those people that do not get the opportunity to travel to the place you fantasize about – for whatever reason, what do you do?

For me, as it is with many people, the issue is money. It is just too dang expensive. Probably the easiest way is to go while you are in college. How can a broke college student go on an expensive trip? Scholarships. Even if you are struggling to find scholarships to pay for the rest of school, there are many scholarships that go unclaimed for study abroad. What if you are not in college? Well, try to put a portion of each pay check, even if it is just a dollar, into savings for your trip.

Comparing the price of going to Europe on your own to a school trip for two weeks, the school trip costs less. Christine Nguyen from the Wallet Diet went to Europe for two weeks and spent $4,210. Whereas I have the opportunity to go on a 2 week trip to Italy with Cornell College for $3,800. So in this instance, the cost is slightly higher to go on your own, but they still have similar price tags.

I am hoping to find my place when I travel abroad next year. Everyone deserves to find where they belong – their home.

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time” – T.S. Eliot.