Travel has already been a large part of my life, thanks to my parents. Having travelled the entire east coast of the United States, as well as to 7 foreign countries by the time I graduated high school, I couldn't imagine my life without exploring the world. I have already learned so much about the world around me, and experienced new cultures both similar and different to my own, and that is a piece of my life that I never want to lose. I hope to be able to continue this in college and beyond, and study abroad will most likely be my next chance to do so. Through the architecture program at my school, I will have the opportunity to travel to either Barcelona, Spain, or Florence, Italy in my junior year. I will most likely choose Italy, as that is an amazing location to study architecture and design. Many of the roots of architecture came from that region of Europe, and I would love to see how the work there can inspire my own designs. This experience will allow me to see a part of the world which I have not yet experienced, immerse myself into a new culture, try new foods and activities, and influence my perspective as a designer. Right now, I am very much influenced by the work I see around me - the buildings and structures I see in my daily life and in my on country. I am excited for the opportunity to gain insight into new styles of design, and to look at some of the historic architecture in Europe, which I have always admired. I am a strong supporter of the fact that travel is something everyone should be able to experience. It has already influenced me so much by opening up my worldview and allowing me to gain insight into the communities outside the small bubble of my hometown. I love to take on new opportunities and am looking forward to the benefits I will gain from living abroad for months at a time. I hope I will be able to learn a great deal about both architecture and the culture itself, and perhaps even try learning a new language while I am there! I would also love to be able to travel outside of the one country while I am there, as the network for travelling between European countries is so easy. That way, I will be able to explore even more, and visit other places that I have always been dying to go to. I believe that studying abroad will be very beneficial to my education and to improving myself as a person. It will open me up to new people and places, and give me a challenge to live in a place that I am not familiar with, by myself with just a few friends by my side. I cannot wait to be able to begin the program, and to see where it takes me!