In June 2012, I stood in an airport for the first time. I would be boarding an airplane to travel eight hours overseas with my peers as a part of the German-American Partnership Program. It's been four years and I have not been on a plane since, but I have desired to travel and see the world more than ever since that experience. Because I had the opportunity to travel when I was 17, I learned just how important it is to leave your hometown, your state, even your country, and see the world.

Despite being a broke college student, I have managed to make my dream of traveling abroad once again a reality. In less than two weeks, I will once again be leaving the country, this time to Ireland. I have spent an entire year making payments on my trip, day-dreaming about what I'd see in Ireland, wondering what everyone in my tour group would be like, and constantly checking my profile to see if there were any updates to my itinerary and opportunities for add-ons.

Education First College Break is a tour company that caters to 18- to 28-year-olds, giving this demographic the opportunity to travel the world at affordable prices. I know if it wasn't for EF, I wouldn't be going to Ireland. Those at EF understand that college students and other young people don't have a lot of money to spend on travel, so they find the best deals and put together amazing packages. The best part is that EF allows you to make monthly payments, rather than paying for the trip all at once. Thanks to the monthly payment plans, I was able to finance my trip over one year, paying more when I had extra money from working to alleviate the burden during the school year.

I personally believe that it is so important to travel while you're young. I think it is especially important to leave the country and experience other cultures, learn about foreign customs and values, and most importantly, see the wide world we live in. Yes, travel is expensive. Yes, it means forgoing a lot of material things. But things are just things. They won't last, but memories will. The change you undergo will. Experiences make life worth living, so take every opportunity you have to live life and see the world, whether it's a road trip across America or a journey overseas, whether it's study abroad or a solo trip.