I love talking with others and learning about their lives! I enjoyed meeting people with different experiences than my own and seeing how we were able to find something in common.
My family did not travel much when I was growing up, but I always wanted to explore and see new things. I think I love reading because it allows me to travel virtually. Reading books taught me about new people and places, which only increased my desire to travel. One of the only trips my family took when I was growing up was to Memphis, Tennessee to visit Elvis Presley’s home - Graceland. It was my first road trip, and I loved looking out the window at the changing scenery. Everything was new and exciting!
Not getting to travel much while growing up, made me even more excited to travel as a young adult. There was so much to see and learn! During my time in college, I met people from other countries and loved getting to know more about their cultures. I felt like I was connected to other parts of the world through my friends.
I had never been overseas before, but I got the opportunity to go to Israel with my school for a ten-day cultural encounter. I learned so much about Jewish history, the people and the culture during that trip and did not want to leave. I loved being able to explore new places, and, after the trip, I wanted to travel even more! I still keep in contact with people I met in Israel and it is nice to have friends all over the world.
After I graduated, I got the chance to teach in Bulgaria and was really excited about the opportunity to live overseas. I have lived in Missouri all of my life and moving to Bulgaria was a big decision for me. Bulgaria is located over 5,600 miles away from my home state!
