Everyone knows the saying "no regrets." However, how would one contemplate this when it comes to parenthood? When you're a parent, you sacrifice so much for your child. Your life literally revolves around that child for 18+ years. What would you think about if all the sacrifices you made because you had a child you ended up missing out on your life? Would you regret them? Since having my child, so many things in my life have changed most of them for the better, but one thing that has never changed and my wants out of life, my bucket list, would be wanting to travel abroad.

I have always wanted to travel to another country, wanted to see another place outside of the continental United States of America. My dream destination of travel has always Italy. Ever since Lizzie McGuire traveled to Italy in "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." Conveniently enough, The English Department program that I am a part of travel to Italy for their study abroad program. Every year I have decided against applying to go because I had a child, because the thought of leaving her for five weeks was too much to bear, what if I reach my fiftieth birthday and never again got the chance to travel abroad and regretted not going? That's why I have decided to go with my dream of studying abroad this summer. I want to see what life holds outside of this routine that I have set up for myself year after year.

While I may be sacrificing time with my child, I want to be able to show my daughter that it's okay to live, and make a dream a reality. Italy, for me, holds a key to my heart. I know that may sound cliche, but I love to study the culture of Italy. I love studying the Roman gods and goddesses. I love studying about Remus and Romulus. And not to mention the food. I want my daughter and myself to look back on my life and realize that yes I made sacrifices, but I also lived. My daughter did not dull my life; she enhanced it. She gave me purpose where there wasn't any. But I don't want her to feel like she was a mistake. I want her to see that mommy still lived her life and raised a child. I want her to know that Mommy lived life not only for Makayla, but also for herself.