Oh the Places You'll Go...

It is no secret to anyone that aside from my desire to serve, one of my big reasons for joining AmeriCorps was my love for travel. Pictured above is my life, in a nutshell - Born in Russia, raised in Latvia, moved to New York at 11, began learning Italian shortly after I mastered English and was lucky enough to call Florence, Italy my home for about 6 months.  Most of the places I have visited in between (the blue) were family vacations (like our roadtrip from Latvia to England when I was 6), summers spent exploring Europe with Gabriella, the best travel companion anyone could ever ask for, and my "Quarter Life Crisis Cross-Country Roadtrip" from last summer, where we spent 45 days traveling from NY to CA and back.

Since this is a blog about AmeriCorps, I should really shout out this program for allowing me to expand my horizons by allowing me to live in Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in a short period of just 10 months. And no, not in hotels or similar establishments which give you a false sense of integrating into local lifestyles - in wooden cabins in the Ozarks, trailer parks and summer cabins in Texas, and dormitories in Colorado and Oklahoma.

Growing up, after I decided that my dreams of being a ballerina and a dog trainer were not likely to turn into successful career paths, I decided it would be my goal to work at the United Nations. And so it was, for years, until it dawned on me that even in an organization with such an incredible mission there was government corruption, a hunger for power, and decisions that yielded maximum profit instead of maximum well being.

One afternoon, while indulging in a delicious triple portion of gelato on the steps of the Duomo (Florence, Italy), I did what I do best - multitasked between eating and people watching. Hundreds of tourists walked past - their noses in maps and iPads, missing the beauty that is around them; their ears occupied with headphones, passing on the sounds of nature to listen to their tour guide.

It dawned on me - what if there was a different kind of travel agency? One that allowed people to truly experience the place they are visiting? One where people could live, dine, and explore like the locals? Perhaps it's not the type of traveling that most people want, but it's one that I enjoy the most. Perhaps one day I will turn my travels into a career path and open my own travel agency... one day.

In all my travels, I have never owned a guide book, nor have I ever used the services of a tour guide. I like to explore, make my own schedule, and see where my adventures take me. Ask a local where the best place to eat is, because odds are, it won't be the fancy restaurant that got 5 stars in the "BEST GUIDE TO VENICE EVER" booklet - it will be the restaurant you stumble upon when you turn a corner to a small street, and one whose waiter will tell you all about an amazing masquerade that only the locals know about (yes Gabriella, I am talking about Pane & Vino!!)

Wander around aimlessly, absorbing the beauty that is around you. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of nature, the noise of a busy market, a conversation in a different language. I have found that often times, the best plan is not having one, and the best adventures result from spontaneity, open-mindedness and a little luck.

When asked why I can't just "settle down in one place" and sit still for a while, I have come up with only one answer - "Why would I want to?" It's such a beautiful world out there with so much adventure and excitement to offer, why would anyone want to miss out?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain