Molly: Someplace I've Never Been

“Once a year go someplace you’ve never been before” – the Dalai Lama. 

As a junior in college majoring in Animal Science, living the typical crazy college life, this quote reminds me to keep travel and learning new things in the forefront. This quote just simply resonates a lot with me. The travel bug has bit hard and all I can think about is different places to see, different people to meet, and experiences that are yet to be had.  Traveling can be as planned as you want it to be or as spontaneous as you want it to be and I think that that is the beauty of traveling. Going somewhere new, you never know what will happen and the experiences/adventures that you are going to have.  

Traveling through an embedded course opens up so many interesting opportunities that may not come with leisure traveling. From getting to talk to specific people about the things that they are passionate about to touring different farms which typically aren’t of a family trip. For example, staying with a host family. For me this will be a first and I couldn’t be more excited. I always hear from people who have traveled that their favorite part was living with their host family. To me it is such a great way to get integrated into a new culture and to learn the most. 

My dad always asks a question whenever anyone gets back from a big trip to somewhere new or different. His first question is always “Did it change your life?” I think that this is one of the coolest things about traveling. It has the power to change your life in such an interesting way but its up to YOU to make the most of it, no matter how long of a trip it is. Traveling can open your eyes to things you never even knew existed even if you’ve done all the research you could possibly do. There will always be something unexpected and surprising about going somewhere new. I don’t think many things can completely change your life but I do think that traveling can do just that. It may not completely alter your day-to-day life but I do think that it will make you think differently and possibly impact your choices in the future. 

I want to go into this trip with that question on my mind. I think that it’s a reminder to say yes to every opportunity that comes along and to not let fear get in the way of trying new things. With this thought in mind I hope to go into the trip seeking out the experiences presented to us and being fully engaged in this awesome opportunity.

I wanted to wrap up this blog post with this quote, 
“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain. I think that this quote is a great reminder as to why we travel, to learn new things and to open our minds to all the world has to offer. 
A few more days until we are off Costa Rica!

Until then, 
Molly