Wanderlust

by Madison Baumgartner

The seven wonders of the world are nothing less than incredible. From the Great Wall of China to the Taj Mahal in India, our world has so much to discover. I have had the privilege to travel to many places in my 18 years on this Earth. A few places stand out to me and have only heightened my love of traveling. Life is an adventure and it is your job to discover the cities you’ve never been to and the people you have never met.

One of the most extravagant places I have been to is Italy. There, I traveled to Rome, Assisi, Monte Cassino, Siena, Norcia, and more. It was considered a pilgrimage which is a religious journey to sacred places. This allowed for me to visit so many beautiful churches, famous tourist sites, and even just normal everyday places. Some that stand out are Saint Peter’s Basilica, Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the streets of Assisi.  Nothing could compare to the happiness and awe that came from this trip.

Another beautiful place I have been able to travel to is Oahu, Hawaii. There is something to be said about visiting tropical, beachy places. Especially being from North Dakota where the high of the day can be 2 degrees Fahrenheit, the weather was one of the best parts! Not only that, but the sunsets each day were beautiful and the sand was always so soft and warm under my feet. The island of Hawaii has so many amazing attributes but a few I visited were a pineapple plantation, a luau, Diamond Head State Park, Pearl Harbor memorial, and Hanauma Bay. These were amazing but the peace and happiness this tropical island gave me was the best!

Getting a taste of traveling has given me a desire to travel more! Someday, I hope to visit the seven wonders of the world and everything in between. I have seen the Roman Colosseum but that is only the beginning. To follow this need to travel and see the world, I recently decided to study abroad in May. I will be heading to England and I am so excited to experience something completely different in a country I have never been. We only have a little time on this Earth and it is our job to make the best of it. I absolutely love this quote and it challenges you to go explore the wonders that were made to be seen. “Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.”