Travel By: Camryn Giessuebel

 Our world is such a beautiful and diverse place it would be a shame not to experience it in its entirety. Whenever I get to visit a new place I love to fully immerse myself into everything unique to there. I do not want to look back on my life and see it is full of regrets, and I have always found traveling an extraordinarily fulfilling experience. It is such a great way to experience new people, places, and cultures. My whole life my grandparents taught me the importance of seeking new adventures. One of the first things I want to do after the pandemic is to get back out into the world.

I have noticed that each place has its own unique ambience, even places that are relatively close together can have very different feels. During the pandemic my family has had to cancel a lot of our trips, but honestly it was a blessing in disguise since it allowed us to find some local gems. Although nearby places almost never have different cultures, especially around here, there are so many hidden places where you can just relax and enjoy the scenery. Going to serene little places is a great break from my daily stress, but my favorite types of places to visit are cities. I love the fast paced environment filled with such a variety of people, visiting far away cities is an amazing way to discover new ideas and find more adventures. Then there are those places that just feel magical where beautiful scenery is paired with interesting people. No matter what you are looking for there is always some place that has it.

 On both sides of my family my grandparents have spent most of their retirement years exploring the world. I remember when I was much younger and their stories sounded so surreal I believed them to be fiction. Honestly there are very few corners of the world they have not been to, they even visited Wuhan, China nearly twenty years before coronavirus started there. They ensured that I was exposed to many different cultures and places for as long as I can remember which really helped me develop a sense of appreciation for humanity. They taught me about how to use traveling as a way to connect with my ancestors as well. Each place here has such an interesting story I would find it such a shame to let those stories be forgotten.

Traveling is such an enriching experience, I feel everyone needs to take a break from reality sometimes. It could make you feel on top of the world, or even be incredibly humbling, but most importantly it will teach you lessons that will better you as a person. I get such a rush from hearing about people’s lives and admiring vivid landscapes it helps to put things in perspective. I plan on always keeping traveling a part of my life, without it I would get too wrapped up in petty deeds, instead of enjoying life for what it is.