TO MY TRAVEL COMPANIONS

BY DIANA POWERS

We travel to different places in different time zones on different modes of transportation and experience different adventures. We travel with different people, with different personalities. Each of them allows us a different viewpoint from which we see the destination.

I’m thankful for traveling with my family, who make sure we keep busy throughout the trip. my younger sisters, especially, allow me to see the world through their youthful eyes. They help me learn more about each destination with their enthusiasm and each fun fact they picked up from a travel book. While our walking pace may be slower, their energy levels never diminish and late nights in hotels seem to last forever.

I am thankful for traveling with my friends, whose endless laughter and ridiculous song choices never fail to bring a smile to my face. Our random stops and detours lead to unknown destinations and countless unique stories. I cannot think of a different group I would rather be with when getting lost in the middle of the desert without cell service: our fearless lack of planning leading to stories for the ages.

I am thankful for traveling alone — for the silence that brings clarity and new perspectives to a busy location. When alone, a crowded terminal turns into a play in which each actor plays the part of a busy traveler with a new life beyond the gate. Like a bird, I have the freedom to go wherever I please or take the time to sit and relax. Meeting like-minded souls has never been easier when sitting in a hostel common room, and planning last-minute outings with them is a breeze.

The memories of these trips remain alive within me during the monotony of daily life. In the future, we may plan unique trips to exotic locations — but with the right people, even a mundane location is made special.