My senior year of high school I made it my goal to see the world. It all started when I was considering my options for college. I had enough credits to graduate at the semester or I could stay in school for the entire year and only have class until around noon.
I was also working a very good job making around $500 every two weeks. Many would argue that it would have been a smarter decision to save the money to pay for more important things like college or a future car or house.
Instead, I thought it would be a better decision to spend it on plane tickets and hotel rooms. Soon enough, I started traveling to places like Dallas, Texas, Knoxville, Tennessee, and even Lynchburg, Virginia.
Here’s what I learned:
- You need to get away
Thomas Jefferson had a home in Lynchburg, Virginia specifically where he “came to indulge in the life of the mind and renew his personal creativity.” Due to my curiosity, I took a trip to Lynchburg specifically to “get away”. This was one of the most reflecting weekends of my life.
- Traveling helps make friends
Travel alone at least once. Some of the most enlightening conversations I have had originated from sitting on a plane next to a stranger (most of them that I became email pen pals with). Although most parents would agree it is not the safest (sorry mom and dad), traveling alone helped me see the world in a new light.
- It can get addicting
Looking forward to my weekend trip is what going me through the rest of the month. Planning these monthly trips gave me something to look forward to. Traveling gave me a reason to make sure I got my homework and other obligations completed before the weekend.
- You don’t have to go to the Bahamas to have a “vacation”
One of my most adventurous trips was to Knoxville, Tennessee. I enjoyed it so much I went back the next month. No, it wasn’t by a beach, but the scenery was incredible.
- Traveling is cheap
Like many kids today, I came from a “broken family”. A family who never left the state because of the fear of the expense. Yes, I have to give up going to Starbucks every day to help afford plane tickets.
However, at the end of the day, I am going to remember my trip to Atlanta over my iced Carmel macchiato. Many airlines and hotels have a membership program. You can rack up points for free things (totally worth it).
