I travel because I want to feel uncomfortable. For my whole life, I've lived in the same corner of the world and I've spent too many hours dreaming of far-away lands. I've decided that while I enjoy the comfort of my home, I do not want to be comfortable all the time. Life is not always meant to be comfortable. After all, I have found that when we are uncomfortable and out of our element, we grow the most.

I want to grow as an individual. I believe that it's okay to be selfish and put yourself first. While this cliché has followed many of us around forever, it is extremely true. I'm tired of doing things just to please others. I'm tired of wasting my time on people who simply aren't worth the effort. Traveling has shown me that no matter how far or long you go, the people who want to be in your life will always be there.

I want to be in a country where I don't speak the language. I want to attempt to blurt out a few words in hopes that someone will understand me. If they don't, I will somehow smile because I have at least entertained them. After getting a quick mini-lesson from someone, I will try again. This time, I will practically squeal when the corners of their mouth start to form a small grin. It's amazing how one tiny victory can suddenly turn you into the happiest person on Earth.

I want to be lost in the streets of Budapest. I want to feel like I have stepped into a place that I never knew existed — until now. I want to breathe in the air around me, close my eyes and listen to the police sirens a block away. I will walk for awhile, until I get tired and sit down for a cappuccino. After people-watching and asking for directions, I will have made it back to my room in one piece, wondering why I was so worried an hour ago.

I want to fall in love, but not just with another person. I want to fall in love with the stillness of the Adriatic Sea and memorize the bumps in the road leading to my grandparents' house. I want to leave my heart in as many places as possible. The way I see it, traveling is almost like flirting with life. It's like saying, "I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station."

I want to do legendary things. There's just something about being in a foreign country that awakens our inner 5-year-old. You find yourself doing things that you would've never done at home, but since you are in another country, you feel the need to do them. You've never even been kayaking, yet suddenly you want to go white water rafting; see where I'm going with this? I find that taking the extra step to do something that scares you makes the biggest difference in your trip.

I travel because I am after all of these things. When you intertwine these feelings altogether, you are left with one of the strangest, yet most exhilarating feelings. The feeling that you are not only going to miss the people or places you love, but you are going to miss the person you are at this time because you will never be this way ever again.