A Forever Passion for Travel
We’ve heard many stories about the Covid-19 pandemic and how it ruined people’s travel plans, but what if I told you that the pandemic sparked my passion and desire to travel more? Would you believe me, or call me crazy?
During my first year at Arcadia University, I took advantage of a jaw-dropping Preview opportunity and enrolled in Oman: Culture, History, and Archeology. Just a week before our departure, we heard the unfortunate news that the travel portion of our course was being canceled. Like many other schools, we were sent home for the rest of the semester and were forced to learn about Oman virtually.
Although I still have never been to Oman, what I learned in my class has put Oman at one of the top places on my bucket list. While I haven’t made it to Oman yet, I did have my first experience in Europe through Arcadia’s GFS course, CSI UK. We spent 15 days traveling through 6 cities in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee) and England (London, Cambridge, Brighton). Those 15 days were filled with interacting with people from other universities, exploring museums, churches, and town squares, trying new foods, and so much more.
Experiencing other cultures was merely a dream before the United Kingdom trip. It was like nothing I could have imagined and I was hooked.
After completing my position as medical director at a culinary school, I realized that I would be spending the next summer studying at Arcadia in the Physician Assistant Program and wouldn’t have an opportunity to travel like this again. That was when I began to reach out to my brothers to convince them to join me on my next trip.
After months of planning, my brothers and I left for 17 days to backpack Europe. We visited 5 different countries (England, Germany, Italy, Vatican City, and Spain), traveling a total of 8,826 miles and tracking 296,283 steps. It meant a lot to me to share my passion and love for experiencing new people and places with the closest people in my life.
Oman remains a dream destination, but for now, I am thankful for the education and experiences that Arcadia has provided me. When it comes to providing a global, integrative, and personal learning experience, Arcadia excels and has incited a passion that will be an integral part of my future no matter where I am.
