By Paige Bennett
I have always loved to travel and be adventurous. I have been on many vacations and am looking forward to going on many more in the future. Traveling allows me to leave reality and live a different lifestyle for a period of time. Traveling occasionally challenges me and also shapes me as a person.
I have enjoyed many vacations throughout my youth upbringing. As a family, we took one of our first vacations on an Alaskan cruise. I believe I was seven years old, but still I remember a lot of the trip. I loved Alaska because it was full of natural beauty. Our second family vacation was to Florida, where we visited the Disney World theme parks and spent some time at the beach. I was in fourth grade when I went to Florida, so I remember more of that trip. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with all the Disney characters. I was just like every other girl; my dream was to see all of the princesses. It was a magical trip for my family an me. We also enjoyed time at the beach and the Florida sunshine.
During my time in high school, I have been on many trips. Through school, I have been to Florida, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C. My trips to Florida and St. Louis were with the high school marching band program. In Florida, we marched through the parade and it was by far my favorite part of the trip. In St. Louis, our pep band performed at a tourist destination and we attended a Cardinals baseball game. I went to Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C. on my senior trip. The senior trip was one of my favorite memories from high school.
I am looking forward to college where I want to keep exploring and going on trips. While at college, I plan to take advantage of the Study Abroad program. I haven’t decided where I want to visit and study, but I am pretty open-minded when it comes to traveling! I am most excited to go and see the lifestyles and culture in a different country. I feel like that program is perfect; it would allow me to study and travel all at the same time. Traveling allows me to get to know myself better and appreciate life at a whole new level. I also plan to go on trips with friends each year during my college’s spring break. I want to take advantage of that break from school and go see a different part of the world. I am someone who would never pass up an opportunity to go somewhere new and explore.
Throughout my youth, I have been on many vacations. I have learned a lot about myself on these trips. I am looking forward to my upcoming college years and all of the traveling I plan to do. Traveling will allow me to appreciate life more and continue to find myself. I will end with one of my favorite quotes by an unknown source, “Most people grow up and live in one small corner of the world, I don’t want to be like most people.”
Paige Bennett is a student at Fillmore Central High School. She is one of eight area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its eighteenth year.