My Favorite Part about Traveling #sallyjetsets

By the time you are reading this, I will already be in Europe– how fun! (Make sure you are following along with me through Instagram or Twitter. I am using the hashtag #sallyjetsets.) Right now, as you are reading this, I am in Venice, Italy, probably having the time of my life.

If you haven’t noticed yet, I travel a lot.

Every summer since junior year of high school, I have had the amazing opportunity to head over to Paris. Last year, I spent about a month over in Europe and this summer, I get to do the same. Every year, I go with parents and sometimes (sometimes not), my brothers come along too.

You might be wondering, why and how does that girl travel all the time? Shouldn’t she be working during the summer? Shouldn’t she be getting an internship?

Well, to some people, that might be the case. For me, I see it a little bit differently.

I see going to new countries as a learning experience, something that a job could never teach me. I see traveling as an eye-opening and mind expanding experience. The places we visit are chock full of art and history. When we went to London, we saw Churchill’s bunker that he stayed in during the second World War. While we were in Amsterdam, we saw the Van Gogh Museum that had hundreds, if not thousands of his original paintings. Not to mention that we explored the Anne Frank house while we were there. While we were in Normandy, we saw the beaches from D-Day and we were able to experience that frigid water that is the English Channel.

I’m not saying all of this to brag– I’m really not.

I make this point because when I tell people that I am going to spend a month in Paris during the summer, I get a sideways and shocked look.

Traveling is such a blessing and I am so thankful that I have gotten this opportunity to travel these past four years. With that being said, this is most likely my last time for while that I can go over to Europe, because after college, I will **hopefully** get a job in Birmingham.

When I get asked what my favorite part about traveling is, what my favorite part about Europe is, I usually respond with one of two things: the architecture or the history.

Architecture completely overwhelms me in a way that makes me gape in awe of the wonder. Europe is so incredibly different compared to the United States. There is so much history laced into every building (or seemingly so). Each building is just so beautiful, even if you are walking down the Champs-Elysees just simply shopping. There is a monument wherever you go and there is beauty wherever you look. The buildings in Paris and Arles are my favorite to look at. I love how the buildings look royal and estate-like. It is very rare to see a skyscraper that you would see in New York City. The architecture in Europe is simply divine.

As far as history goes, my family and I typically go to the places that have the most history.

I am not one for textbook history, but I am one for history if it’s seeing it and experiencing it. By that, I mean I love seeing the ruins, the monuments, and the settings. I love Normandy’s beaches of D-Day. I love Churchill’s Bunker. I love the museums that carry legacies and tell stories. I love the town of Arles, where Van Gogh grew up. 

Another thing that kind of contributes to architecture, but not really, is the nature. With this specifically, I am speaking of Switzerland. More specifically, Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn. These two places are hands down the most beautiful places I have ever visited. The mountains are gorgeous. The skies are blue. God’s beauty and handiwork is so evident in the nature and the footholds in these places. I can’t even imagine the beauty of the places that I haven’t visited yet.

Really, I am so thankful to my parents for providing me with these incredible opportunities.

I would never want anyone to think that I am ungrateful for my travel experiences because I truly am so thankful.

Traveling is a wonderful thing, whether you roadtrip to a town 30 minutes away or you fly 10 hours to a new country.

Traveling connects and disconnects us, in the best way possible. It disconnects us from our normal lives, making us feel like we are made brand new, but it also connects us by crossing cultures and acting as a segway to make a new friend. I am a fan of travel, no matter how close or how far the destination is. Anyone down for a road trip sometime soon?

What is your favorite part about traveling?

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