Adventure Calls

Adventure is calling me. 

As I've said before, I haven't been out of the country since 2012. SIX YEARS. That is a long time for me...it feels like an eternity.  I've been on family trips, like a cruise to the Caribbean when I was a teenager. But in college, I spent a month and a half in Madrid, Spain. I took a biology class and a travel writing class. I learned a lot and had a wonderful experience both in and out of the classroom. I got to see some of the major tourist sites in Madrid. I also took a trip to Barcelona, which was absolutely beautiful. I visited Asturias, a mountainous area, where I did horseback riding and ate fresh wild boar (which was delicious, by the way). I went to the Canary Islands for scuba diving and I got certified there. And I was able to practice my Spanish. 

My other trip was only two weeks long, but we sure packed in a lot of sites. I had the opportunity to visit Israel as part of a Middle East Policy and Security Studies program through my school. And I figured, why not? It could be really interesting. It was an insightful trip. I recommend people visit at least one place that's not on their bucket list. I stayed in Herzilya, which is right on the Israeli coast. Waking up to the view of the Mediterranean Sea was amazing. I was able to visit Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Masada, Jerusalem...plenty of other great places. I was raised Christian and being able to see some of the sites that you hear about in bible stories from thousands of years ago is so cool. 

I'm sure many people have said this before, but travel is such an important experience. It gets you out of your comfort zone, it opens your eyes to new cultures and ways of thinking, different opinions. I would rather have experiences than "stuff." A trip to another place on my bucket list like Slovenia, or buying a new laptop? I'll take the trip to Slovenia-see the sites, eat the food, learn some more of the language, and maybe visit some family we still have there. I'll take that in a heartbeat. Even if it's not out of the U.S. Take that trip to New Orleans or Chicago or Austin or Seattle or whatever places you'd been thinking about. At least see some of the awe-inspiring sites that our country has to offer. There are so many to choose from. Those cities are some I've had my eye on for a while as well. Sure it will take some time to save up the money to enjoy all of those experience awaiting.  But I can say with certainty that I'm at my happiest, my most carefree, relaxed, and content when I am traveling.