Kylie Ross

Growing up, most children are taught that the world is a scary place. I, on the other hand, was thought that traveling the world is a necessity. Even as a child, all I wanted to do was broaden my horizons. "Daddy can you please take us to Italy?", my father recalls hearing me ask at least once a day. Of course, my three siblings and I were far too young to travel to another continent, like Europe, but, we began to exercise our love for traveling by visiting the Bahamas.

Just a few years after I turned ten, we traveled to Jamaica. I started to realize how much I loved learning about different cultures at this young age. Within the next two years we would eventually make our way to Puerto Rico for a two week stay where I practiced my Spanish and ate more "ceviche" than the average human.

After many trips to the beaches along the gulf of Mexico, my siblings and I received the Christmas gift of a lifetime, a ten day trip to Italy planned for February of 2015. Our parents informed us that we would be visiting Milan, Florence, and Venice. During our trip, we had the opportunity to experience more than the average person gets to experience in a lifetime. In sum, we tried the many types of pasta in Milan, discovered the abundance of art history in Florence, and explored the canals of Venice. We received yet another surprise trip this past Christmas. In June 2017, my family and I will be traveling to Madrid and Barcelona Spain.

Each of these trips have taught me more than any culture classes could have because of the authentic experiences. I have gained specific knowledge from each place I have traveled to and will keep the memories close to me forever. I am so blessed to have been taught my love for traveling and I look forward to continuing to explore the world.