When I was in high school, I was given an opportunity to become a People to People Student Ambassador. I was given the chance to travel to Australia and New Zealand. I was SO excited. As a kid, my family and I traveled around the states and we even went to Canada once, but nothing could ever compare to the experience of traveling across the world with a group of people I barely knew. Back then, I was definitely a homebody. I got homesick two hours after leaving my house. But, luckily for me, getting out of my comfort zone and leaving the good old state of Illinois behind, was exactly what I needed.
On this trip in particular, I learned more about myself than I ever could have imagined. I did things like repel off a mountain, break a wood board with my bare hands, and most importantly, found a piece of myself that was missing. This trip specifically made me realize that traveling was in my blood. I learned that I could never allow myself to become someone capable of staying in one place for too long.
When I began traveling, I never imagined meeting some of the best people in the world. I would have never guessed that these people would impact my life the way they did, and still do. Though we have all gone our separate ways since the trip, I still check in on them from time to time and every time, I realize how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to spend time with these amazing people. I'm glad that I can call them my friends.
The people that I experienced this trip with almost had to drag me out of my comfort zone--but for all good reasons. They taught me to be brave. Because of them, I was able to get over my fear of heights and repel off of that mountain in New Zealand. And thanks to them, I was able to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef without panic because they were right by my side. They taught me to be strong. Being such a homebody at the time, anything that I wasn't familiar with was scary. In our time in New Zealand, we had to stay a few days with a local family. And because of my friend's reassurance, they helped me trust the family I stayed with. I let them in and let them get to know me for me. They opened my eyes. I'm a picky person when it comes to anything. They encouraged me to try new foods and open my eyes to the things in front of me. They helped me become a better version of myself. And, til this day, watching them grow up, continue their educations, travel, and essentially grow into the people I knew that they could be, has helped me realize that I can do all of that, too.
After my trip to Australia and New Zealand, it was hard for me to adjust living my normal life. All that was in my mind was traveling. I made bucket lists of the things I wanted to see, the places I wanted to go. And, thanks to my friends and their encouragement, I've continued to travel. Since my initial trip, I've traveled to Costa Rica, England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland. After my out of the country travels, I packed my bags and moved to Michigan to start my college career. However, now that that is almost coming to an end, new travel plans have been in the making. Wherever I go, I am going to take the lessons my friends and travels gave me along for the rest of my life.
My advice to you: travel and get out of your comfort zone. Chances are you will meet people who will ultimately change your life for the better and you will fall in love with the places you go. It's never too late to begin your journey. What are you waiting for?
