A Flower that Can't Bloom Anymore

For starters, I am not quite sure were my adventureous spirit came from, but I have always been this way since before I could remember. My first memory of being a risk taker was at my first swim meet, I jumped into the swimming pool when all the other kids cried, that's when I realized my risk tolerance was high. When I was sick of doing the same old thing at the school I had attended my whole life, my mom described me as a flower that couldn't bloom anymore and that I needed to stretch myself outside my comfort zone in order to bloom again. This advice was very impactful to me and played a factor in me deciding to go be a boarding student at Saint Mary's School in Raleigh for High School. From then on I have continued to put myself in positions where I can continue to blossom during new experiences such as when I studied abroad in Costa Rica and Scotland during high school which were both incredible experiences where I grew a lot and discovered my passion for traveling. I think there is something really exciting about doing something on your own and trying new things and meeting new people.

I would travel every day if I could, but during COVID-19 I have been forced to stay put, which has been the hardest part of all. I was fortunate enough to able to travel to Florence, Italy the Spring of 2020 before I got sent home because of the pandemic. Although getting sent home was one of the saddest experiences of my life, now that I am able to reflect on the time I got to spend there I am grateful that I was able to go at all. I ate the best food, made best friends, explored Europe and most important proved to myself that I am more capable than I think I am. I was fortunate enough to travel to places within Italy such as San Gimanio, Sienna, Pisa and Venice. Additionally, I got to travel to Berlin, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands, which were both really eye opening experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I will forever be thankful for being able to study abroad, which was a dream I have had since I can remember. I will continue to recognize when I feel like I am that flower that can't bloom anymore because that is when I am going to take another risk in my life to shape my life's journey onto an even more exciting path than I was on before.