I consider myself a traveler with a purpose. If you have read my blogs within these past two years, you will notice that I love to travel.

I categorize my travels into three different groups:

• pleasure
• service/volunteer/fellowship
• learning/studying abroad

I’ve traveled to nearby states several times in the past 6 months, but my most recent big trip was at the end of summer when I went to England and France. It was one of the few trips I had planned for pleasure.

Stonehenge, England

I traveled all over England and visited my relatives there. I spent several days in France just for myself too. It was such a great trip, and I would love to do something like that again.

The Louvre, France

However, something I realized is that I felt empty at the end when I came back home. I didn’t feel as fulfilled as I did from my other trips.

When I come back from my service or learning trips, I usually feel a sense of belonging in a bigger picture. I always feel like I learned so much of the cultural, social, and historical significance of the places I went to. I also feel motivated to do more, in general. My idea of “more” is being more involved in the community, helping others, becoming a better daughter/friend/person, and be an active citizen.

I feel like my life is meaningful this way, thanks to the Alternative Breaks and Study Abroad experiences I’ve done through school and the fellowship trips I’ve gone on with my youth group. Granted, I’m a weird person who can’t “chill” even on relaxing trips. Maybe this is why I love to participate in active trips.

This is why I’m hosting a Study Abroad Information Session for ALL College Park students at USG. I want to share this opportunity with students who might want to go onto these short term (winter, spring, and summer breaks) or semester-long study abroad trips too.

If you’re a College Park student, come check it out! 😉