Get up and get out

As I wrap up my bucket list I wanted to look for anything I may have missed. Obviously a mere 10 entries cannot come close to fulfilling all of my life goals, but I think it is important to be sure that I at least acknowledge those goals that I hold most dear. The next goal on my list is yet again a lifelong goal with no clear end in sight. My goals is to take every opportunity I can to travel the globe and learn about new customs, people, geographies, and the world in general. Traveling may be expensive and sometimes difficult to time, but creates experiences which can be life changing. I have not traveled much. I have been to roughly 20 different states, but have only left the U.S. once, to go to Ecuador. Being in Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Among other things I got to see a sloth, anacondas, alligators, monkeys, pythons, macaws, and even one of only four species of freshwater dolphin. I was able to catch Piranha, and then later that night go swimming in the very same river I had been fishing in for the hungry beasts. Having that experience made me crave to explore new and interesting places, but unfortunately since that time roughly 2 and a half years ago, I have yet again not left the country. That is why, this semester, I decided I would begin to change that. Next semester I will be studying in Australia. Being a diver this is especially exciting to me for some obvious reasons. I couldn't help but feel though, that I would not get the cultural shock that I was looking for. That's when I decided it was time to go for broke. In the last 3 weeks of the semester I set up a trip to go to Thailand over the summer. I will be spending 7 weeks on a small remote island called Koh Lipe, during which time I will achieve my dive master certification. I will be leaving straight from Thailand to go to Australia next semester, which means that I will not see American soil for roughly 6 months. Given that this is only my second time outside the U.S.A. this trip fills me with some anxiety, and lots and lots of excitement. This trip is the beginning of my adventures. I hope to travel all over the world, and will jump on any opportunity I am presented with. Who knows? Traveling the world could help you find a place that feels more like home than the house you've lived in for your whole life.