The Brains Behind the Blog

My name is Claire and I am a 19 year old college student studying Nursing and Spanish. I have a passion for nursing and helping people and when I went into school I knew that along with it, my passion for the Spanish language couldn't be shaken so I had to pursue it as well no matter how much work it took. My other love is travel. I love traveling because it can expose you to so many different languages and cultures that you have never given much thought to, and it opens your mind to all of the different ways that people live their lives around the world. You have the opportunity to gain a more critical perspective of your own way of living/culture. It is important to me to share the joys of traveling with people who may not be as eager to step out of their comfort zone because I think that everyone needs to be able to look at the world from different perspectives at some point in their life. If they are hesistant to step out of their bubble and see the world firsthand, at least they can read about it, and maybe be encouraged to take that first step.

At 19 years old, I have been extremely fortunate throughout my whole life to be able to travel many places around the globe. From the UK, Italy and Croatia, Germany and to Costa Rica to name a few, I have seen a lot of the world that some people never get to see in their lifetime. Traveling for me, has been the biggest blessing, and without it, I wouldn't be who I am today. Every new place that I see and culture that I encounter is a learning experience for me, and I love constantly learning. Often times, we get so caught up in our own little bubble, in our small corner of the world, that we forget how much world is out there to see and how much it has to offer. In my life, I plan on seeing as much of it as possible and making connections wherever I can. Traveling is such a gift, and so much can be taken from the life experience it gives you.

In one month from today exactly, my plane will be touching down in Quito, Ecuador where I will spend 5 months studying and exploring South America where I can. That is what inspired me to create this blog. For a long while, longer than I am used to, I am going to be pushed out of my comfort zone, tested on my Spanish and challenged to discover new things about myself that only living in an unfamiliar place for an extended period of time can teach me. This blog is not only a place for me to share my fun stories, but also a place where I can reflect on my time in South America, and take a moment step away from the crazy whirlwhind that it is bound to be. Once I leave South America, I plan on continuing to use this outlet as a way to document all the places that I get the opportunity to visit. Every experience that I can share and that other people can learn from or even just enjoy reading is valuable to me. And regardless of whether or not I love or hate a destination, I will always be in love with the journey, and the experience that it gave me.