Ports of Entry

I’m by no means the most seasoned traveler in the world, but I’ve been on two amazing international journeys so far in my life: four months studying abroad on Semester at Sea and a month-long backpacking trip through Europe with my best friend. One of the things I’ve always regretted most about my travels is that I never seemed to get as much out of them as I thought other people did. They all had life-altering, earth-shatteringly deep reflections to share with everyone once they returned. Meanwhile, I couldn’t figure out how to tear my gaze away from my future plans long enough to focus inwards. But, as is the case with most things in life, I just needed a little distance and a little time. Maybe my experiences hadn’t been earth-shattering, but they were life-altering, in ways that were both subtle and significant. As it turns out, traveling impacted me more than I had thought, and these five stories helped me figure out how.