Day Eight:

Day 8: A place you've traveled to...

Perugia, Italy 2002

I traveled to this place in 2002 to study abroad. Little did I know how much it would change my life. The start of 2002 was a weird time to be an American traveling abroad. Many backed out of the trip due to worries following 9/11 attacks just months before. But I stuck with my plans and I'm so grateful I did.

Besides getting to meet awesome people from schools all over the US, who became some of my best friends, I also got to know quite a few international friends whom I have remained friends with even to this day. It's great getting to broaden my horizons by letting people into my life that have such different backgrounds. I find that we can all learn new things through experiencing different cultures, but at the same time I always find that we have more in common than we do differences. 

Beyond that, I learned how to speak Italian close to fluently and was inspired to come back and study a year later (and then went back each year after that until 2005 when my travels ended). This trip basically started me on a journey of travels throughout the world all and I'll never forget and will always appreciate the lessons I learned. 

It was a great way to expand my mind and made me realize the world is a much bigger and much more incredible place than the tiny world I knew back home. It lit a fire within me to see the world and experience new cultures and also gave me a greater appreciation and respect for cultural differences. 

I will encourage my future children to travel as much as they can when they are young (and even when they are old!). It's what makes a life well-lived.