I've been traveling since birth. No, really. When I was less than a year old my parents started bringing me on trips that I honestly cannot remember. As a child, I was always good in restaurants, planes, trains, anywhere crowded with loud noises. I think it was the idea of adventure that calmed me, even as an infant. From the first time my parents brought me to our little place in Puerto Rico, I was hooked. I needed to travel. I needed to see more oceans, explore more mountain ranges and discover every beautiful, interesting culture this world held. I love history, and art, and travel fuels that fire for me. I love adventures. I've seen so many wonderful, intriguing places, thanks to my parents who encourage me to explore. I've been to Italy, Iceland, England, France, Switzerland, Norway, Costa Rica, and probably more that I'm forgetting. But the thing is, you don't have to get on a plane to go on an adventure. You can drive a couple hours to see something new, to experience something that might be a little out of your comfort zone.

It's all so beautiful. Picture this. You're standing on the edge of a cliff. Nothing but blue, transparent water below. You can smell the salt from the ocean, and you taste it a little as you breathe deeply. The winds whips your hair, and as you close your eyes the sun still manages to bring some color behind your eyes. You open your eyes again, look down, and then you jump. This is the moment I live for. I live for the wind, the rush, the feeling of the spray on your body as you find yourself suddenly submerged in cool, clear water. Fish scatter, startled by your presence. You look around, and the fogginess of the salt water clears up. The tiny, iridescent bubbles hurry to the surface and you see light projecting through every single one. There's a whole other world down there. Full of colors, and light, and creatures of all different shapes and sizes. You'll probably never be able to see all of it, but that's what makes it so much more mysterious.

For those interested in history and art, no matter where you go there's always something different. You'll discover the legends of The Yule Lads in Iceland, explore real Viking longboats that were buried underground for centuries, or see the aurora borealis, which in my opinion is still the most incredible phenomenon I will ever see. Nothing will beat the rush of dangling from a rock in the Swiss Alps, feeling higher than the entire world. Getting lost in The Louvre for hours, marveling at the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles; these experiences are wonders that will never be forgotten.

We need to get out and explore the world we live in while we're still young. Traveling as a teenager is, in my opinion, crucial to gaining the worldly perspective our generation needs. You learn to appreciate every culture so much more—how long it took Michelangelo to paint ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, how builders spent months carving intricate details into the limestone. How you've never really had pizza until you go to Rome and eat your weight in pizza Margherita, or experienced wine-making until you're smashing grapes with your own feet at a vineyard in France.

I advocate travel at any age, but I must stress when saying how important it is to do when we're younger. Seeing the world has made me the person I am today, and I know my lust for travel and adventure will never cease to exist. Experiencing the world is a necessity to understand it and help our generation create a better future for it.