As a photographer abroad, I spend a large amount of time meditating on what constitutes thorough documentation of my travel experiences. I know that my destinations have already been photographed, painted, drawn, and shared by the billions of people who have come before me. Sure, all of these statement landmarks are beautiful and relevant to experiencing and appreciating these extraordinary cities, but I know that the postcard-picture moments are not what I am going to remember when I look back on my abroad experience and what it has taught me.

We spend most of our lives in transit, bouncing in between new homes and new destinations. Routine develops from year to year, and new goals determine the next itineraries. I crave efficiency because it expedites progress, and as a student I can’t afford to be behind. Society has conditioned me to believe that I need to experience more, achieve more, collect more, and be more so that I am relevant, interesting, and hirable. I look forward to the next big transition — to finally seeing the statement landmark that everyone talks about. I want to be able to send out postcards to my friends and family, sharing that I have made it. Restless anticipation has directed my life, and while it has brought me this far, I now know that there is a better way to travel.

This year I have taken taxis, train rides, plane rides, bus rides, boat rides, metro lines and walked more miles than I ever thought was possible. I have come to realize that being in transit is one of the most important facilitators of growth. Traveling becomes more enjoyable when the journey is as moving as the destination is. Your ticket will not validate itself—it’s a choice to value the ride. Efficiency doesn’t necessarily mean getting to a destination sooner, but rather making the most out of the time spent getting to where you need to go. Restlessness recedes and each moment exceeds your expectations when you are more patient with the process. Being on nine-hour trains with no Wi-Fi encourages a deeper investment in the people that you are with, whether they are your best friends or strangers with stories to tell. I know for a fact that these are the stories that will make it on to the back of the postcards that I send home.