Sep 25, 20162 min read

My Travel Bug Story

Updated: Jan 3, 2019

“The travel impulse is mental and physical curiosity. It’s a passion…”

– Paul Theroux

My strong desire to travel is not just an impulse, but a long deferred desire to see the world. Growing up, I loved learning about various cultures, largely because I did not have the opportunity to travel across the country or around the world. Born and raised in Brooklyn, my mom and I traveled locally, hopping on buses to explore different neighborhoods or on the subway to explore other boroughs or the tri state area. These experiences alone not only provided me with a greater appreciation for different cultures, but also increased my desire to travel at greater extents.

In college, my interests led me to be a pre-med student majoring in history and focusing on colonialism. However, that #curiosityfortheworld was never truly fulfilled until the summer of 2012 when I got on a plane for the first time and went to Costa Rica.

Oddly enough, I had never traveled by plane until March, 2012 when I had the opportunity to attend a science teacher conference in Indianapolis, IN. Teaching in an underserved community in my hometown, many of my students have never traveled to all five boroughs. As an educator, I realized the importance of exposing my students to the world. Although they may not be able to afford an #internationaltrip, it has become my mission to organize field trips to neighborhoods outside of their comfort zone within their own city.

Since 2012, I have not stopped traveling. Two people really inspired me: a former coworker and a former professor. My former coworker told me that she has traveled to over 80 countries. At that time, I had not even traveled to one. I was embarrassed to even say that, but in the back of my mind I thought, "That's wassup! I clearly have some catching up to do." Even with a family, she manages to travel. This goes to show that when something is your #passion, nothing will stop you. My former professor, whom I had my first two years of teaching, once stated: “Education is the best job to have. You can travel to a new country every break you have." I took that to heart and ever since then, I have been traveling somewhere during every break, whether it is to another state or another country.

I have walked along the great winding walls of China, seen the grandeur architecture of Italy, enjoyed the picturesque beaches of Costa Rica, and been inspired by the majestic waterfalls of Canada. In my leisure time (when I am not teaching or leading), I am very focused on my goal of visiting two new states and one new country a year. My #lifetimegoals are to see all 50 states and visit as many countries as possible, ideally 50 countries and all 50 states by the time I turn 50 #FIFTYby50.