I was born and raised (mostly) in Vermont, with a quick 5 year stint in Sarasota, Florida during my middle school years. But of the two, I much prefer Vermont. I love to downhill ski and cross country ski in the winter, and hike in the summer. I love the snow and the mountains, both of which do not exist in Florida. On one hand Sarasota, Florida is an amazing place to vacation and I was extremely lucky to live there, but I could not stand not having a change in the seasons. I mean imagine Christmas with palm tress. It just isn’t the same.
My mom, dad, brother and I moved back to Vermont right before I started high school. This is about the time when I started to enjoy the outdoors the most. If I wasn’t in school I was hiking, or playing sports outside or skiing in the winter. This love of the outdoors sparked my interest in traveling, and the want to explore other outdoor adventures in new places.
My first major travel experience was to Tanzania on a community service trip when I was about 16. This experience forever cemented in me the desire to see the world, and sparked my planning of a trip to Greece with my best friend, and my eventual decision to study at Dickinson for the study abroad opportunities. This “wanderlust” has been a constant in my life and something that has pushed me to pursue every opportunity that presents itself to see the world.
This blog project allows me to reflect on my experiences, and think about what I want to gain from my future experiences as I get ready to study abroad in Costa Rica for the spring semester.
