So, how did I get the travel bug?
Huacachina, Peru
Childhood Memories, Early Teachings & Incredible Generosity
Early Childhood
The feeling of wanderlust and yearning to see the world for myself is embedded into my genetic makeup. Born from parents who placed me in a hammock on a Caribbean beach at 6 months old and a sister to siblings who have jointly lived in over 10 countries (so far!), I've grown up being shown that more often than not, there is nothing to fear when in places that appear different than what I am used to.
I've grown to be very accustomed to international travel. A good portion of my younger years were spent on vacations in the Caribbean, heavily influenced by my mother's love for the beach, people, and island culture, and because living outside of three New York area airports meant escapes to the Caribbean were affordable and quick!
I have fond memories of waking up to wild horses in our front yard in Puerto Rico, being awestruck by the magical blue glow of the Bioluminescent Bay, and serving on shark duty in the Bahamas with my ‘shark stick’ in hand while my dad and brother dove down below to spearfish our dinner.
These magical vacations almost always took place outside of resorts because for us, the recommendations of the locals, the places that reflected and represented its residents, displayed the true culture and traditions of the island, one in which we were not going to miss. I am so grateful for those years because I developed a sense of safety in traveling to new places; the warmth and kindness of our new island friends reinforced that.
Fast forward to high school, I attended an international boarding school outside of Manhattan that attracted what felt like the entire world onto its beautiful Westchester campus. I was graciously offered a generous scholarship package for all four years, to which I am still incredibly grateful for. I shared a dorm with girls from Taiwan, Australia, Switzerland, Hong Kong. The list goes on.
What I learned during those days was that no matter where we are, children are all the same. We record funny videos dancing to pop songs, obsess over the popular TV shows, or go sledding down the hills on snow days. We may have been born and raised until that point in varying places around the world, but our core shared many commonalities. It’s only when you allow the opportunity to discover this that it becomes blatantly obvious. Those four years were a time of personal growth and exploration, but also a time where I learned to always be open-minded and curious about people around you, because you may find you have much more in common than you expected.
Thailand
My first BIG international trip was the summer before junior year of high school. I was sitting in yearbook class when an email popped up in my inbox from a company called Loop Abroad. In the email, I remember pictures of golden temples with jeweled dragons, captivating elephants, and majestic tigers— images from a land far, far away. Farther than I had ever been — Thailand. Having never been to Asia, nor having seen anything like these images, I had no choice but to answer the wanderlust call.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Not only was I granted a spot in the program, but Loop Abroad offered me a generous scholarship. They may not know this, but the only reason I was able to go was because of them and their willingness to support travel for all. I am so grateful to them and my parents for supporting my yearning to see the world. I can only hope to pay back what was offered to me someday.
In the summer of 2012, myself and group of fifteen 16 year-olds departed from Logan Airport in Boston on our way across the world. We would be in Thailand for an entire month. Yes, you read that right, an entire month. What a once-in-a-young-adult’s lifetime opportunity (arguably anyone’s lifetime). It would take us almost 48 hours to land in Thailand — three flights, one eleven hour layover in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and we would finally arrive to the Chiang Mai airport and settle into our hotel for the night. I was entirely unprepared for what the morning light would illuminate. For starters, I learned that night that the toilets are a bit different than ours.
Thailand was nothing that I could have ever imagined, it was a golden and lush land of beautiful temples, food, and people. Elephants roamed and didn’t need words to communicate their wisdom. Generosity from locals poured, often the most coming from those with the least.
We ventured into rural jungles where some lived in homes with only 3 walls. We repainted schools, built bridges, and made friends with local children. We fed and bathed elephants at the Elephant Nature Sanctuary. The experience was nothing short of eye-opening to teenage me. I returned back to the States a month later with a promise to spend my life continuously experiencing new cultures. A promise I can gratefully say I’ve kept.
Study Abroad in Seville, Spain
My early years and adolescence gave me the courage and support to continue to embrace the world and keep my eyes and heart open. It planted the wanderlust seed that has only grown with age.
It should come as no surprise that when it came to my attention that my college offerred an option to study abroad, I jumped on it. Turns out that studying abroad was financially less expensive than room and board at my university. You better bet I was in the Study Abroad office often.
After weighing pros and cons of different places, with cost playing a huge factor in my country of choice, generosity crossed my path again when in my junior year, I was graciously awarded a scholarship by Santander Bank, a gift that was again the only reason I was able to embark on this journey.
I landed on studying in Seville, Spain, the Andalusia region of Southern Spain. This region is quieter than other parts of Spain, famous for it’s flamenco, tapas, and diverse blend of cultures. Here, I was welcomed with open arms by my Spanish host mother. I was immersed head first in a culture and language foreign to me.
This experience did not come without uncomfortable growing pains. My spanish was elementary and my host family did not speak any English. This made communication (and meals) incredibly challenging. At times I felt isolated and lost, despite having my school friends nearby. I wasn’t able to connect with the locals in the way a shared language would allow, and with so much of Spain’s culture revolving around socialization in cafes, cervecerias (bars) and even in the streets, I did not make many local friends.
It was during this time that I got to know myself in a different light — I found that I was less interested in night life and more interested in sipping on a glass of wine in a plaza people-watching, or wandering the streets taking photographs. I spent much of my time watching and observing, learning more about an alternative way of living. And it got me thinking, do I want to live abroad? If yes, what type of place feels right? What do I care about? These questions continued to follow me into further adulthood, an example of how spending time in a place different than our norm creates an opportunity of self-reflection and learning.
And the Rest is History
Since study abroad, I have continued to travel every year since. I’ve lost count of where all I have been, but the travel bug hasn’t gone anyway. In fact, I’d say it is stronger than ever.
Today, I strive to travel with intent, curiosity and respect. I want to better understand how I can be a more conscious traveler and treat places as if they were my own home.
I’d argue that responsibility falls on all of us to leave people and places better than we found them.
With a booming global tourism industry, we’ve seen places go through the negative effects of mass tourism — loss of resources, character, and authenticity.
If we are going to partake in visiting the world, don’t we also need to be held accountable for the repercussions? My answer is yes. I have taken a vow to ask more questions when I travel, to choose smaller, more local businesses, and to be aware of impact.
Will you join me in this challenge?
