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I've always had a passion for traveling, and it's something I've dreamed of doing my entire life. This obsession took off when my friend invited me on a nine-day cruise with her and her family. That trip, a graduation present from her grandparents, truly sparked my love for exploring new places. We visited Haiti, Curaçao, and Aruba. When we got back, the post-vacation depression hit me extremely hard and I immediately wanted more.

I started researching affordable ways to travel, finding cheap accommodations, and taking day trips to close surrounding states with friends. We'd split the gas and survive on homemade turkey, bread, and cheese sandwiches. I made so many great memories but I still craved more adventure. So when a price drop notification on Google Flights popped up for a 200-dollar round-trip flight to San Diego, I immediately booked it. I wore all my clothes to avoid paying for a carry-on and crossed the country alone without telling anyone. As crazy as that sounds, what's happened since then is even crazier.

I landed a co-op role with Delta Airlines, which gave me access to free flights, and since then, I've traveled to over 20 countries. Some highlights include visiting Japan and Paris in the same week and exploring Germany, Sint Maarten, and Costa Rica alone. I can't imagine ever getting tired of traveling, and I hope that one day when I'm no longer a broke college student, I'll be able to experience other countries in style and have the money to stay in fancy hotels and enjoy good food.