Places

There is an certain discomfort that accompanies stepping outside the known into the unfamiliar. Yet in my life, the endeavors I have been the most uncertain about have often turned out to be the most rewarding to me. This is especially true in the case of traveling. My first major experience away from home came with an opportunity to participate in a month-long study abroad in Switzerland. My uneasiness about the prospect of spending an extended period of time thousands of miles away from home almost kept me from going. In my life, I can identify a small handful of events that I consider pivotal - and the choice to go on this adventure was one of them. My experiences Switzerland that summer, as well as subsequent journeys away from home, have truly changed who I am. Traveling, to me, is not a form of respite from the stresses and boredom of the day-to-day. I see it as something that shapes the lives of those who earnestly seek the experience