if only's

I'm standing alone on the edge of a jetty in the middle of the Aeolian Sea, watching French tourists enjoying the sea, oblivious to the town behind them. Out of the ocean rises a bed of sand, quickly cut off by a rock wall and then the town of Cefalu, which is surrounding and winding up the mountain that peeks over the rooftops. To my left is defiantly shining through the white clouds despite the looming black thunder clouds to my right. Like the sun, the French students on the shore seem unaware of the dark clouds heading their way. I breathe deeply, trying to soak up as much of the sun and the salted air as I can. And as I turn to head back, I begin to think in "if only's..."

Favorite Pictures

This picture was coming down from Erice. I like this because it makes me feel small.
I love this random Scooby-Doo picture we took on the way down to the islands in Taormina because it sums up our time in Sicily: a bunch of strangers forced together in a foreign place but coming out as great friends, with tons of new experiences and adventures that never would have happened with out this opportunity. Just like the gang in Scooby Doo- good friends going on adventures!

Why I Travel

I have a travel bug. Since I was 17 and went to Ireland on a family trip I have been addicted to travel. I am fascinated with discovering other ways and walks of life other than the one that I live. I think the only way I can truly find out who I am is by getting a taste of all the world has to offer so I can take the parts I like best and combine it into one: me.

I don’t think there is any way I could be satisfied without exploration and discovery. There are billions of people to meet, there are millions of foods to eat, and thousands of places to see in the world for me to discover and try.

From the five different countries I have been to I have learned. I have learned about challenge, life, and growth in ways I never would have if I solely lived my life confined in white, suburbia America.

When traveling I am challenged by the cultural barrier. I am forced to learn languages, eat foods, and do customs that are very different, and some may find strange. I enjoy these challenges because it forces me to acquire new skills as well as learn new ways of eating, living, and being.

I learn about life because when traveling I am submerged in a culture not familiar to me and am exposed to new ways of being. When I travel I am forced to walk in someone else’s shoes and appreciate their life instead of judging it.

Being challenged and learning about other peoples lives helps me grow. I grow because I expand my horizons beyond my own life that is put in perspective when I travel and learn that there are so many things to see, people to be and ways of life to experience and combine to thus better my life by having an eclectic appreciation for the world.

Gentle shore winds, calming sea waves, laughter and unforgettable smiles. These are the feelings and sounds of the beautiful, Cefalu.

Why I want to Travel

Why do I want to travel? I guess I could respond to this question with all the traditional answers and they would all be true. I want to travel because I want to gain a new perspective on the world, I want to learn about and experience new cultures, I want to expand my knowledge of the world that I live in. All of these are pretty standard answers and all of them apply to my thirst to travel. But I think the most honest answer I can think of right now is that it something that I’ve never done before.
Many members of my family have traveled around the world. My cousin spent a year studying in Spain and Chile, his younger sister traveled around Russia and spent time in Paris, my best friend has been to England, France, and Australia. My father traveled around Europe when he was my age and I grew up listening to him regale stories of his time spent in Italy, Morocco, and Spain. And the result is that I have become extremely jealous. Their vivid descriptions made me long for my own experiences in these new places.
I love my parents and am incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities that they have provided for me. But traveling to far off places is something that we, as a family, have never been able to do. Both finances and my mother’s fear of boats and planes have kept our vacation traveling on a pretty limited scale.
I view, as clique as it might sound, visiting a new country and culture is a step towards better understanding and appreciating yourself and your own home. By having these new experiences and seeing how other people live, you are able to better evaluate your own life and value system. I often hear that traveling is a “life changing experience” and I believe that this can be very true.
Because I’ve never even been off the East Coast I think that I have romanticized the idea of traveling. I imagine that traveling is being deeply immersed in a place and exploring new places and cultures on a very physical, intellectual, and emotional level. On the contrary I’ve always given tourism a more negative connotation. Even though I’d never even been a tourist I always thought there was something tacky about walking around a big city and buying “I Heart...” t-shirts. But honestly, at this point, a new experience is a new experience, whether I’m a traveler or a tourist, and I’m just excited to be going on a new adventure!

Fish Market

The fish market at Catania! It doesn't get fresher than this.
Blood oranges! A favorite on the trip - we couldn't get enough of them!

Too Many Reasons for Loving to Travel

When I first began to think about why I love to travel, too many ideas rushed through my mind, with hazy pictures and words mixed together and flashing by at lightening speed. The first thought I could grasp from my travel experience and especially the recent trip to Sicily was the love for meeting new people. Although the language barrier can be tough at times, to say the least, the struggle to find meaning in communication has a power and sense of accomplishment that is rare to find. I also notice that many times when traveling I am overwhelmed by the kindness in people. It has been wonderful to see many negative stereotypes wiped away after experiencing something completely opposite. In the picture below, myself and four or five other girls were walking the streets of Cefalu and this little old man stopped his car, got out, and proceeded to let every one of us get in his car and pose for pictures.

I also love to travel to learn about a new place, culture, and people. While traveling you are constantly learning and adapting to new and different ways. Everything is exciting. There is always an adventure waiting around the corner. Another reason I like to travel which may seem odd at first is, the fact that I am away from home and all of its familiar comforts. I have learned to adapt and make the best out of every situation in a far away place, and many times looking back on them they seem to be the most entertaining and funny stories. Traveling is enlightening and empowering. The picture below (which does not have to do with being enlightened or empowered, but is funny, and was something we needed to adapt too) is the water that came out of our sink after a day of no hot water or heat.

One of the other reasons I really love traveling is seeing the natural beauty in different places around the world. I have seen amazing things traveling that I would have never seen if I did not leave home or even the United States. Below is a picture of a shell a found on the beach just after sunrise, with the water and cliffs in the background.

Why I love Traveling

I took this picture at 6:30 A.M. at our third hotel in Taormina. I really did hate waking up early, but God did I love those views at sunrise. All of our hotels looked over sea water, and every morning the golden orange sun would reflect off the water, making it sparkle in the light. The horizon would turn the most stunning array of colors. In the quiet of these mornings on our balcony, where I could hear nothing but a few birds and feel nothing but a gentle breeze, I felt the most tranquil.

I took this picture at Gangivecchio, one of my favorite places on our trip. The bareness and the muted colors remind me of the simple beauty of it. The abbey was weathered in appearance, but illuminated by lush wildlife and gleaming sunlight. The meal we ate in the cold room, with cobwebs draped from dusty candles, was simple too. Yet, it was delicious, and for me, it outshined our other restaurant experiences in Sicily.