A few days ago my good friend Alex and I were discussing traveling abroad.  We talked about all the places we want to see and all the things we want to experience.  He stated that he wants to live somewhere outside of the country for an extended period of time.  Although I never want to reside anywhere but Chicago, I understood why he felt this way.  There is a certain edge that comes with being in unfamiliar territory.  The sense of adventure is greatly enhanced when you are halfway around the world in a town where the people don’t speak your language and you don’t know up from backwards.  A certain amount of spontaneity is required in order to really experience what a place has to offer from a cultural standpoint.  In general, I would not consider myself a spontaneous person, but I have come to appreciate what new experiences can do for me and therefore understand the need to sometimes just go for it.

Forunately, I have been lucky enough to travel more in my 21 years than most people do in an entire lifetime.  I’ve been in a helicopter over Mt. McKinley (Denali National Park, Alaska), snorkeling in Hanauma Bay (Oahu, Hawaii) and have eaten dinner under the moonlight in a Tuscan villa (Cortona, Italy).  Until recently, I havn’t appreciated these experiences. I believe most of that comes from being young and oblivious to my surroundings.  As I grow older, I not only understand what it means but want more of that experience for myself.

Studying abroad will fulfill some of that for me.  I applied to a wonderful program located in Rome, Italy.  The program is entitled “Rome: Food and Culture” and includes a class on wine, a cooking class, and various Roman culture classes.  If I get in, living in Rome will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Although I’ve been to Italy before, I could not be more excited to see all of the rich culture that it has to offer.

In addition to Italy, I want to see all of Europe.  My list of wants includes (but is not limited to!) all of Greece, Barcelona, Madrid and Granada in Spain, all of England, Paris, France, Germany, Austria, etc.  I would need about 2 years just to see all of those places, but hopefully I can visit as many as is possible while I’m there.

As you can tell, I am very excited about this potential experience.  I hope that I am offered the opportunity to do it.