From an early age I knew that travelling would be part of my life. I was around six months old when my Dad took me on an airplane for the first time, it seemed like I was traveling every year after that.
Due to my Father’s job, we moved a few times from Atlanta, GA, Houston, TX to the Outer Banks of North Carolina then to Charlotte, North Carolina.
The toughest thing about moving was leaving my friends and starting to make new ones.
Making friends is hard but it taught me to really push myself to talk to people, and sometimes I need to be the first one to say, Hi.
No matter where I went, including summer camps, as soon as my parents drove away or my plane landed, I had to overcome the nervousness or little anxiety you get from being in a new place, new surroundings and new people.
Traveling exposes you to not just new places but new feelings and emotions, I’m not lying its crazy and just like that, you become open-minded to all that is around you.
It’s almost like tasting a new flavor of ice cream, candy or riding the new rollercoaster at Carowinds Six Flags here in Charlotte. Your adrenaline kicks in, it’s a rush and you think to yourself, “I have to see what is out there”.
You become more confident because you start becoming more independent, you become a problem solver and resourceful.
Think about it, you must learn how to catch a bus or train, learn routes and if you’re sick, you must take care of yourself, and it sucks because you don’t have Mom to check on you to see if you are ok.
Shopping for your groceries, learning your way around new streets and asking for directions like crazy even if you have Google Maps. At the end of the day, you become an Explorer.
I want to travel abroad to learn a new language. My goal is to speak five languages fluently because I want to travel all over the world.
You will learn to see the world in a different light, new cultures, traditions and gain a deeper respect for the world we live in. You will learn to be more understanding, tolerant and patient. You will learn to be amazed at the smallest things and treat them as treasures.
You will make friends all over the world, and they will share their dreams and aspirations with you. Your dreams and goals will get bigger and extraordinary, that all things are possible.
Ten things that will change in your life are guaranteed, when you become a learning abroad student.
- You Will Become a Better Communicator
- You Will Become More Motivated
- You Will Become Open-Minded
- You Will Become an Explorer of Life
- You Will Become More Confident
- You Will Become Resourceful
- You Will Become Independent
- You Will Become Wiser and Smarter
- You Will Become Exposed to Different Possibilities About Yourself
- You Will Become a Problem Solver
Yes, you will be scared but I promise you will get over it.
Yes, you will get home sick, but I promise you will get over it.
Yes, you will feel like an outsider, but I promise you will get over it.
But I Promise you will be a Different and Better version of yourself.
Your Teenage Traveler,
Zoe
