Me, and My Past Travels

I always have wanted to travel; my grandparents have taken many trips all over the world and I have always been somewhat envious of their experiences. I can spend hours looking through their photo albums and listening to their travel stories. But, because all of their travels took place post-retirement, I figured it would be a while before I could travel. I considered studying abroad for a semester, but once I decided to finish my degree in three years I knew that would no longer be an option. I believed that I was out of luck, that I would really not be able to travel until I had earned money in a career (or, more likely, until I had retired).

Luckily, I was wrong! One day in my first year at Purdue, I came across information for a Maymester study abroad in London. This program was perfect for me; it would fit into my schedule, help me build credits toward an early graduation, and allowed me to visit a place I had always wanted to see. So, I applied to the program and was lucky enough to be accepted! I absolutely loved my time in London. We saw all of the famous sights and had classes, but we still had enough free time to explore. I spent my 19th birthday touring the Harry Potter studio (this was the best birthday celebration I've ever had, and it will be hard to beat). I became a master of the tube despite being incapable of reading a normal map. We took an overnight trip to Oxford and saw Stonehenge at sunset, which was truly amazing and something I believe everyone should experience.

Stonehenge at Sunset

I also took a couple of side trips when I was in London. One weekend, I visited my friend Anika in Germany. I did not speak a word of German, but her family was welcoming and her village was wonderful! I had a wonderful weekend experiencing life in a German town. At the end of my trip to London, my mom and sister came "across the pond" to tour London and Paris. I took four years of French in high school and believed that Paris would be my favorite city. Sadly, I was somewhat disappointed. The city was crowded and dirty, and it was a little offsetting that everyone smoked. I was able to see all the popular sights in Paris, and I enjoyed them, but I did not feel the same sense of wonder or belonging that I had in London. London truly exceeded my expectations and still is my favorite overseas destination.

I always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, and I did accomplish that :)

Once I arrived back in the United States, I missed Europe. I desperately wanted to go back, but between classes and a summer job I had no free time to travel. I started looking at shorter study abroad programs and found a spring break study tour to Romania through the Honors College. I had never even considered going to Romania, but I figured it would be interesting (plus, one of my good friends was going). It was quite an experience. We spent most of our time on a bus traveling across the country, but we got to see a lot of different things. The scenery was breathtaking, the food could be questionable, and not many people spoke English. I was very far out of my comfort zone, but I did not spend much time thinking about my discomfort. Rather, I just tried to experience all that I could during my short week in Romania.

Scenery in Romania

Me, at Poenari Castle (a long climb up a steep hill!)

Again, once I returned to the States I really missed traveling. I have always wanted to go to Italy, and when I was told about an Honors College spring break trip to Venice I knew I had to take the opportunity. It will only last a week, but I will spend that week experiencing everything that I can. I know that I will have assignments to do, but from my other study abroad programs I know I can handle doing work while exploring. I am so excited to experience Venice, and I can't wait to go!

There's only one problem: now that I'm addicted to traveling, what will I do after this program? It looks like I'll have to really enjoy my week in Venice (which won't be difficult at all).