Traveling is an aspect of life that many look forward to, and many have had travel experiences in their youth. I recently started my travel journey at the ripe age of 20! A little late on the train but having limited knowledge of the traveling process allowed me to appreciate the new environment around me! It also forced me to plan my activities and go through the overly complicated journey that is flying/travel booking alone, which I can’t say I would do again.
My friends and I planned a trip to New York for a small break from normal life before school began again, and it was chaotic, to say the least. Even booking the hotels and flights was a process, mainly due to many of us being under the age of 21 (the hotels were not happy about that) and this process was new to most of the group. The flying process was long and tedious, which didn’t help with my anxiety about the entire trip. The airline also lost my luggage, which was the most stress-inducing experience of my life, until our flight back got canceled due to weather. To say the least, I was breaking down in the airport.
Shockingly, once I was on the plane, my nerves calmed. The entire process was more stressful than the actual traveling, which ended up reigning true for the entire trip. Trying to get everyone to agree on one activity was harder than the actual activity or transport to get there. The entire experience was amazing. We were able to explore Central Park, see many museums (including the MET!!), and eat at some great restaurants. Navigating the city, in general, was difficult, but also rewarding. We found many attractions and restaurants by wandering around, and some of those were highlights of the trip. Seeing the Statue of Liberty from a ferry was an amazing experience, and seeing the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges from the ground was so eye-opening. We had an extensive itinerary that changed every day, but it helped us remember what we came to the city for. The process was strenuous and highly rewarding at the same time, and I’m looking forward to traveling again!