Ali Ruotolo

When asked to write a bio of yourself, one might describe his or her's background along with a current brief description of their present day-to-day lives. However; for me, I feel an interest of mine, a passion, would better illustrate who I am. Ever since I can remember I have had a hunger to travel and explore the world. Intrigued by the different foods, cultures, and even people our world has to offer, I made traveling the world a goal of mine. This past winter break I was given an extraordinary opportunity to travel across the world to Thailand. The trip served more than just a vacation; my experiences in such a vastly different culture has changed my world view. I was able to be myself, find purpose, and gain confidence in unfamiliar places. When you travel overseas your views on everything take on a new perspective. It was when I joined a family, in Chang Mia, for a home cooked meal that I realized just how fortunate. For the first time I was able to see how people, outside of the U.S., live; since then, I have challenged myself to take a harder look at my personal position. Basic necessitates, such as clean, running water, I now cherished after seeing places without it. From traveling, I have concluded that our world would be a better place if we all left our comfort zones and experienced another culture.