Ever since I was a little girl, I've had a passion for traveling. Maybe it's because I was exposed to it at such a young age. My family moved from India when I was a year old, and by the time I was five we had lived in three different states. By the time I hit the fifth grade, I had decided I was going to study abroad in Paris, become a journalist, and live in a penthouse in the city. Although that dream didn't exactly come true, it was a dream that allowed my wanderlust to blossom. When I finally got to visit Paris for the first time, I was awestruck, and the city still holds a special place in my heart today. There is something so exhilarating about being immersed in a different culture, surrounded by novel people, customs, and places. No one knows who you are or where you have been. That's the tantalizing enchantment of the unknown; the story is yours to write, the experiences yours to create.
In the fall of 2014, I was lucky enough to study abroad in Manchester, England. The experiences I had and memories I made left me speechless. I traveled to nine countries in four months, and each place taught me a little bit more about who I am and the person I want to be. It wasn't only an expedition of the sites I visited, but one of self-discovery. I thought after engaging in those four months of constant travel that my desire to see the world would be curbed. Instead, the nagging voice in my head has only gotten worse. I discovered that my thirst to see every corner of this beautiful world cannot ever be quenched — it's insatiable. You see, this affliction of wanderlust is similar to the chicken pox. Once contracted, the strain lives in your blood forever. Scratching the bumps doesn't make them go away, it temporarily alleviates the itch, only to cause them to come back worse than before. However, being infected by the travel bug is an enthralling experience. You generate a unique sense of adventure that allows you to dream big and have the courage to pursue these aspirations in hopes of unraveling the secrets of this world.
Traveling opens your mind and works to eradicate notions of prejudice and ignorance you may not even realize you harbor. Interacting with locals and engaging in different cultural traditions is something no classroom experience can replicate. Adventures are the best way to learn, and the journey of travel is full of discoveries of regions, passions, and cultures that serve to dispel ethnocentrism in the best way possible. You learn to recognize your blessings and realize how much you have to be thankful for. You learn to stop taking the people and things in your life for granted, and have a greater appreciation for the world.
I've been lucky enough to see all sorts of places and have magical, unforgettable experiences wherever I go. But traveling isn't always happy. Each time I return from a trip, my heart physically hurts, because I leave a piece of it everywhere I go. The Eiffel Tower, a gondola in Venice, the streets of Manchester — a piece of my heart is in every one of those places and countless others, tugging me back, waiting for me to return. Each trip I take makes me feel a little more incomplete, because I am constantly leaving a part of myself behind. I never feel completely at home anymore, because part of my heart is always somewhere else, loving places and people all over the world. I find myself consumed by fairy tale-like memories of previous adventures and daydreams of future endeavors. I have to consciously remind myself to live in the present. And the goodbyes? The goodbyes are so, so hard. However, the experiences make it all worthwhile, and it's amazing to realize you have lasting relationships in various cities all across the globe.
Us millennials are so fortunate to have the various forms of transportation that allow us to wander to any destination in the world. Don't wait for an opportunity to fall into your lap. Have the initiative to take the plunge, get out there, and just go. Traveling doesn't have to be hundreds of miles away. Visit new places around where you live; find the beauty in wherever you are. Learn to be modest by recognizing what a small place you occupy in this gigantic world, and use that to your advantage. Roam. Voyage. Explore. There's a whole world out there, just waiting for you to discover it.
