Andrew Van Wie

Adventure leads to discovery. Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. Charles Darwin discovered the process of evolution. And I discovered my love for traveling.

My whole perspective of the world changed after my family’s trip to Europe around 5 years ago: so many places to visit, so many cultures to see, so many people to meet. Believe it or not, there is so much more going on in the world than what happens in your life. Since the trip, we’ve expanded our horizons to Italy, France, Greece, and Costa Rica. Each place has their own story to tell, and I, surprisingly, want to read them.

Having to read an airport’s sign in another language is definitely a culture shock but makes an adventure an adventure. What I love most about traveling is trying new things and meeting new people, which is a big reason why I’ve enjoyed college so much. It’s not easy stepping outside your comfort zone, but I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything.

My passion for adventure and travel has led me to open up a new chapter in my life by doing a study abroad in Australia and New Zealand this summer. Hopefully I can survive the 19-hour flight, so I can cross another continent off the list (less than half to go) and continue my quest to reading one more story at a time.