For most of my life, traveling meant going somewhere because my family had a reason to be there. We would visit Korea to see relatives or go to Florida for the beach. I never really thought of myself as a traveler because traveling was simply something my family did together. That changed last summer when I backpacked around Europe.

Something about being in a place I had only seen in pictures made me realize how much of the world I had never actually seen and I realized that there was so much more to the world than the small part of it I was used to. Since then, I’ve wanted to travel differently. This summer, I visited several Asian countries and each place made me more curious about what else is out there. Traveling has become less about simply going on vacation and more about seeing the world for myself and learning cultures all around the world. I want to visit places outside of the United States but also want to explore the country I live in. This winter, I’m going to Utah to see its national parks, which is something I’m especially excited about!

A big part of why I love traveling is that it makes me feel small in a good way. Seeing mountains, oceans, forests, and places I have never been before reminds me that my everyday life is only one small part of a much bigger world. As a Christian, I see these places as part of God’s creation. Traveling gives me the chance to stop and actually look at it. There’s something almost overwhelming about standing somewhere beautiful and realizing that this is the world I’m living in.

What makes traveling even more meaningful to me though, is who I experience it with. I have a big family/many cousins so many of my travel memories include them. We have explored places together, eaten together, gotten lost together, and experienced things that I know I will remember for a lifetime. My family has been part of my journey not only through life, but through the way I have learned to see the world. I’m not sure about many countries I will eventually visit, but I know that I won’t stop exploring. Being surprised by places I have never seen and keep learning how much exists beyond what I already know excites me. For me, traveling is becoming a way of understanding both the world and myself.