It has been a very long time since I last wrote a blog entry and I apologize for that. Part of it was laziness, I will be straight forth right here and there, and the other was work and a lot of activities going on this year, to say the least. Like many others this year, COVID-19 just threw a bunch of curveballs at me and I really didn’t know what to expect. The year really impacted the travel industry and many people were forced to stay home for most of this year. International travel is slowly coming back as some of my favorite YouTubers are publishing videos again. But other than that it’s been an odd year in so many ways. So I just decided to use this post as a way to catch you up on what I’ve done during this tumultuous year.

1. Completed my first year of grad school at Saint Peter’s University. Our sports ended prematurely which was a bummer but it was still a very good year. I’m hoping to do better though in my second and final year here which I am currently doing.
2. Watched the Netflix series, The Stranger, which was very good. It exceeded my expectations and really was the first Netflix series I watched intently in some time.
3. Discovered and subscribed to a new YouTube channel- “shiey.” Man oh man, what an interesting character this guy is. I came across his channel randomly while browsing through YouTube. He did a three-day trip to the Black Sea in January and put together an hour and a half video of the journey. Very intriguing, raw and unique. I’m hooked on watching this guy’s content, it’s very addicting and entertaining. Just hope he stays safe.
4. Went on a lot of walks/runs- One of the few blessings in disguise for me during this pandemic was the ability to reacquaint myself with some of my best friends from high school. My friend Erik and I went on a bunch or runs and walks throughout the year. We exercised, made Instagram stories, workout videos and just had fun.
5. Made five YouTube videos in five weeks consecutively- I made a video documenting my hometown of Stony Point, New York, which I am extremely proud, and it has become my most viewed video on my channel thus far. I followed that up with a video on Letchworth Village, an abandoned mental institution located not far from my house. I then made two videos where I discussed my 2014 Italy trip and another where I talked about the 13 states in the country that I’ve been to. The last one I did was a video documenting my first time camping from June 12-13, in Ringwood, New Jersey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56zlzM2G90Y&t=692s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PUOrX16NWw&t=180s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx-0sPwX2N8&t=821s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Idk4VMdyI&t=752s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvbUWM_utyk&t=363s
6. I began grocery shopping for Instacart which has been a nice way of making money and helping people out. I work when I want and I get to work for whomever I choose. For the most part, my customers have been gracious and grateful.
7. Acquainted myself with some new friends from around the world, specifically India. Myself and my girlfriend Teresa, have chatted with two amazing people from India- Manasi and Vishal, who are two amazingly beautiful souls to ever grace the earth.
8. On the downside, I had a case of bedbugs in my bedroom which was absolutely disgusting and horrifying. Luckily, it wasn’t too serious but nonetheless, still not a fun time.
9. Went to the beach numerous times throughout the year, including my annual two-week trip down to Long Beach Island in August, which fortunately we were able to do. My brothers and I also paid a visit to our grandparents in Galloway, New Jersey after a power outage wiped out virtually all of the electricity on the island.
10. Went parasailing in LBI and jet skiing in Brigantine with Teresa.
11. Went to Warwick, New York a few times for a beer garden and apple orchard experience.

And in just a few days, I will be going to Cooperstown, New York, to spend a weekend with Teresa and visit a place I’ve always wanted to visit, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

So overall, it certainly hasn’t been the greatest year in the world but for me personally, I’d say it was alright. Sure the virus stinks and wearing a mask in public isn’t ideal but what are you gonna do? This year flew by in the blink of an eye and I can’t believe there’s only 44 days left. Hopefully, I end this year on a high note and hopefully 2021 is a little better. Also I hope to stop procrastinating and start writing again on this blog.

It has been a very long time since I last made a blog post. During this time of quarantine, I’ve been staying busy through schoolwork and my occupation at Saint Peter’s University as a graduate assistant. It hasn’t always been easy to stay focused but I’ve been trying my best. One of the ways I kept myself occupied was by creating this documentary video of my hometown of Stony Point, New York. I had put in a lot of work on this project since December and published it to YouTube on May 15. It has over 100 views, which for me, is very impressive.

It was a challenge to get the shots that I wanted but I really think the video came a long way. Additionally, I also uploaded another video to my channel based on an abandoned building complex in the town of Haverstraw. This place is called, “Letchworth Village,” and it’s been featured on numerous television shows such as “Ghost Adventures,” due to its reputation as being a haunted location. This video is much shorter than my Stony Point video because there’s only so much you can show and the fact that you cannot physically go inside the buildings because it is against the law.

I put in a lot into these two videos and feel like I could use a brief break to really think about my next project. I don’t know exactly what my next video will focus on but if I want to make it on YouTube, the only way to do so is if I keep publishing almost every single week. Eventually, the hard work will pay off and people will tune in. But for now, I’m only at 33 subscribers which is fine, I’m very patient.

I know that one day I’ll be able to say I’ve got 1,000 subs, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll do that one day. But it’s been a long time since I’ve published something on this blog and here it is. It isn’t too long but I’ll start doing it more frequently from here on out.

By now, you know I’ve been to Italy, France and the United Kingdom and you also know that I’ve treasured each of those experiences and they each transformed me into a better person. But I want to go a little deeper and share some specific memories from each of these trips. I love to reminisce about the simpler times in life and to this day, I cannot believe I am coming up on six years since my class trip to Italy, I really can’t. So I’ll start with my Italy trip.

Story #1- This is one of my favorite stories to share. When we were in Venice, we visited a glass factory, not far from the main city area. After we paid our visit, we were all waiting outside for the boats to pick us up. As we waited, a couple of the guys in our dared another guy to jump into the waters of Venice for a substantial amount of euros. The guy did not hesitate and proceeded to jump in the filthy Venice water, which was cold, as it was mid-April.

As he tried to climb back on the pier with a ladder, he was pushed off by another student and ended up scraping his leg. So here he was, soaking wet, with no towel, and bleeding from his leg. Watching him on the boat ride back was honestly one of the funniest sights I had seen. He looked like he had seen a ghost. He was freezing his butt off. The whole thing was so funny and everyone got a kick out of it. He’s also lucky he didn’t get caught because you get a hefty fine for swimming in the waters of Venice.

Story #2- Florence was so amazing, but what was equally as amazing, if not more amazing, was my best friend’s reaction to our hotel room. Not really but nonetheless, boy oh boy let me tell you, was it priceless. If I could go back in time and get a reaction shot, this would be the crown jewel of all reactions. I roomed with two of my best friends throughout most of the trip. When we got to our Florence hotel room, it was about the size of closet, and all three of our beds were stacked together, one beside the other. On top of that, our view of the city was a generator.

My friend’s reaction was something out of a horror film. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened at his initial moment of realization that this was the situation. He immediately took action, saying that it was impossible to stay in this room and called his mother back in the states. His mother literally spoke with the manager of the hotel room to get his room changed and the manager obliged. There was only one room left in Florence and it was for two people. So my friends got that one while I stayed in the biggest room in the hotel with four other guys, which I didn’t mind cause it gave me a break from the two knuckleheads.

Story #3- My final Italy story also takes place in Florence. I’ll cut right to the chase. I got lost in Florence with a freshman. And at the time I was a junior. Basically, my group of friends flat out ditched me and got me stuck with this freshman mostly because they wanted to get away from him because he annoyed them. So I got to enjoy him for two hours. We walked around aimlessly trying to find our location but kept coming up empty. However, the more we walked around the city, the more I kept saying to myself, “he look at me, I’m lost in Florence, Italy.” That was actually pretty cool. I was my own man at 17 in another part of the world.

Eventually we found our route and after stopping for a quick bite and a visit to a store, we found ourselves back in the hustle and bustle of the city. Later on in the day however, it turned out we wouldn’t be the only lost boys. A group of my friends got lost later on in the night and I received a call from one of them asking for help. I recommended they get a cab but apparently one of the guys panicked and took off running down the street like a madman, much to the joy and amusement of locals.

As I am writing this blog post, my mind is racing rapidly with little or no thought or preparation being put into it. This is a rarity for me but I feel that in order for me to get the most out of this post is by talking what is on my mind as of this very second. If you’ve been living under a rock somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, then you’re not aware of what’s been ongoing around the world. If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you are aware of what’s happening. There’s no in-betweens here because it’s virtually been the only thing that’s been on people’s radar for a while now.

The world is currently in a pandemic, a coronavirus pandemic, aka “COVID-19.” It came up in China in December of 2019 and has been steadily progressing and spreading all across the world. There’ve been nearly 200,000 reported cases in over 160 countries as of this blog post. Not much was known about this disease when it arrived on the scene but since it has, it has gradually consumed the earth from hemisphere to hemisphere, and that’s not an exaggeration.

Virtually all activities have stopped from sports to shows to restaurant and food services, and so on and so forth. I have never seen anything like this in my 23 years of living and I highly doubt I ever will see anything close to the magnitude of this anytime soon. Currently in the U.S., citizens are encouraged to limit the amount of people you come into contact with at a certain time. There’s also a recommendation of putting at least six feet in between yourself and a person you’re interacting with.

The whole thing has been chaotic and has dominated the news for much of this year. President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency for the United States. The disease spreads very easily from person to person by means of coughing, sneezing or touching. It’s very concerning and has taken a toll on the lives of people all around the world.

One of the biggest effects of this outbreak is the cancellation of traveling abroad. As of now, the United States has placed a ban on traveling to European countries for the next month. Additionally, Asian countries such as China and South Korea are also off the tables. Schools and universities have shut down across the country and have transitioned to online course teachings.

This is the most serious situation that I have experienced with so far in my lifetime. It surpasses Hurricane Sandy from 2012 which wiped out two full weeks of school for me and cost significant damage to thousands of homes along the east coast. It’s a scary time in the world.

But if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t live life in fear. I feel very hypocritical putting that down because I don’t do a good job of living by that motto at all. I get anxious very easily and almost always look for something to worry about. However, I’m trying to take it slow with this virus. I am really trying not to think about it and do whatever it takes to ensure that me and those who I love are healthy and happy.

I am taking precautionary measures a lot more than I normally would. I am washing my hands more thoroughly now, covering my mouth when I sneeze or cough, and limiting how much I am interacting with other people in-person. But above all of that, I’ve found a great way to keep my mind off of this virus-by going outside.

It may sound corny or cliche to some but going outside and getting lost in nature and not having so many things to worry about truly is a blessing and a great way to ease the tension. I am currently working on a new video for YouTube which documents the scenery of my hometown of Stony Point, New York, in Rockland County. I’ve been staying motivated through this project in order to remain creative and fresh with ideas. I never want anything to slip through my fingers if I have the chance to accomplish something unique.

I’ve been running all over my town in the back-wooded areas looking at different places where I know not many people come to explore. I’ve visited a battlefield which was even visited by George Washington back in the 18th century during the American Revolutionary War. There is one specific spot I’m waiting to film at but I am waiting for the spring/summer time to go there. It’s a waterfall not far from my house. I’ve seen glimpses of it but I’ve never stepped down there to see it clearly with my own two eyes.

It’s so beautiful and I get goosebumps just thinking about going down there to admire its mystique and aura. But in terms of the coronavirus, I’m aware of it, but I’m not going to drive myself nuts over it. It’s a difficult time in the world for sure but all we can do is stay positive and smart. Eventually, this will end or slow down and we can all go back to our everyday lives and occupations that we tend to take for granted.

Like most people, I love music. I can’t think of anybody who doesn’t like to listen to it and for me personally, music possesses an indescribable power. When I listen intently to music that appeals to me, it’s as if I am wrapped up from head to toe in this blanket of imagination. My mind is functioning at a pace where I am able to visualize virtually anything.

Music tells stories and for me, the 60s and 70s are the quintessential representations of storytelling music. One storytelling song that I greatly admire is, “Ride Like the Wind,” by Christopher Cross. It tells the story of a man who is convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. He’s on the run and is trying to make it to the border of Mexico. The song has an upbeat feel to it but it’s a rather dark story. What fascinates me with music more than anything else is how the writers are able to make a song sound joyous while in actuality, the lyrics are rather dark or depressing.

It’s an art form that takes years to perfect. I greatly admire so many musicians, especially the all-time legends such as Beethoven, Mozart and Bach. Those gentlemen laid the foundation of music and they will never be forgotten. Unfortunately, I think their names aren’t as popular nowadays when it comes to music. I think people are more intrigued with the modern times and understandably so. But you cannot forget these great classical musicians for their marvelous tunes that move your heart in such a way.

Music is also a healing process I feel. If I am ever down, I’ve realized that listening to a tune that I enjoy lifts my spirit. Again, it goes back to the visualization that I get. There’s just something about the notes of a song that move me on the inside and provide me with a jolt of emotion.

I give immense credit to all musical artists but I specifically preserve most of my admiration to those who actually play instruments. Don’t get me wrong, figuring out a tune electronically takes skill and talent. But you take away the human element of music playing. Nothing could ever replace the strumming of a guitar, the beating of a drum, or the shaking of a tambourine or maraca.

Humans are the creators of music and it’s refreshing to see people showcase their talents that they’ve worked so hard to perfect throughout their lifetime. There’s nothing else in the world that can compare to that. Throughout history, music has been a constant in all parts of the world.

The evolution is astounding and it continues to transform through centuries and continues to inspire so many people to look for new avenues to explore. It will always hold a crucial place in history. There will never be life without music and through it all, it’s just special.

Music unites people. That’s why there are national anthems for countries, religious songs in places of worship and ceremony songs. It’s everywhere and cultures are also captivated by the way the music gravitates towards those who are involved.

Overall, it’s a free feeling to be listening to music wherever and whenever. It will always have a place in my heart for inspiration and motivation.

Let me just say for the record that I’ve never traveled anywhere on my own. I don’t have anything against it, it’s just what I’ve done so far whenever I’ve traveled to different locations. This has been a topic that has intrigued me for a while and I’ve seen some of my favorite YouTubers talk about it. For me, I personally like sharing new experiences with people. When I won the flight tickets from Jacob last year I knew that I wanted to bring my girlfriend along with me.

The experience wouldn’t have been the same without her and it helped create memories that will last a lifetime for both of us. Since that Italy trip in 2014, I’ve wanted to do similar trips with friends/family to different locations around the world. The whole experience back then was so fresh and unique that it makes me smile even to this day when I look back and reflect on all that I did.

Like I said before, the trip I took to Italy matured me and opened my eyes to the world and made me more grateful and also made me take advantage of any opportunity I could get to go out and see and explore and become immersed in a new culture. It tickles me on the inside when I look back at all of the fun that I’ve had with these trips over the years and the people who I’ve gone with have made them that much sweeter.

Solo traveling is something that has entered my mind but I don’t know if it’s something that I am ready for yet. There’s a follower of mine on this blog and a follower of Jacob’s who I am friends with. His name is Vishal, and although I’ve never met him in-person, he has made an impact on me. He’s from India, and he won the second set of flight tickets that Jacob had handed out. Vishal recently went to Dubai and he went by himself. It was the first time he had went abroad and man oh man, did he enjoy himself.

Vishal is a true explorior and he really is one of the nicest down-to-earth people I’ve seen on social media. He treats everyone with respect and is super easy to talk to. I truly hope I meet him one day and he’s inspired me to really try solo travel in the future. I definitely think I’ll do it at some point. When that time will be, I don’t know. But what I do know is that although I’ve never done it, there are some benefits of solo traveling.

For one thing, traveling alongside your friends and family is fun, but it can occasionally be annoying. Since you’re always together on the excursion, you might disagree with certain things as to what you want to do and you could also get on each other’s nerves. Italy wasn’t all fine and dandy. I was around my friends which was great but we all got onto each other’s nerves multiple times throughout the trip. I learned that that’s going to happen from time to time since we’re around each other constantly.

When you solo travel, you force yourself to get out of this comfort zone you’ve secluded yourself into. It forces you to try new things and meet new people and really be a different person in a way, which is a great thing. Everyone can adapt a new trait and that can be greatly beneficial because you learn so much from that and are also able to teach others as well and make impacts on them.

It may be scary to go on an adventure on your own but at the end of the day, the world is an adventure. One day, we’re all going to have to solve or do something by ourselves. We’re not always going to have a shoulder to lean on. We all need to be strong-minded individuals and that’s something that I need to improve on. Too often, I rely on others to help me out in tricky situations and I am tired of doing that. I need to get my head in the game a bit more and trust myself and allow myself to think clearly and achieve my goals.

I mentioned it earlier in one of these blog posts, but writing is the best way I express myself creatively. I feel that I can write about almost anything and make it sound good and give myself the best chance to stand out. However, I have started to undertake the art of videography much more seriously over the past number of years as well. I wasn’t too interested in camera work prior to my freshman year of college. It was never that all appealing to me. However, I landed a work study job in the athletic communications department during my freshman year. Here, I learned the basics of a professional video camera and how to maneuver it to the best of its ability.

It took me a while to catch on but eventually, I became fairly comfortable with the shooting of our sporting events. I learned how to gather great shots from specific angles and how to slowly zoom in and out of subjects that we were focused on. This interest eventually grew and I started to take my camera work much more seriously as I took some production classes and watched carefully on how to make YouTube videos stand out more.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned when it comes to camera work is that it’s very meticulous and a lot of understanding goes into it in order to capture the best footage/shots imaginable. At times, it can be incredibly frustrating and you feel like you’re not going to get anywhere with it. However, that’s the wrong mentality to have and I’ve learned that a lot. I’ve often been an impatient person and I need to recognize more often that everything takes time to learn and sometimes certain things take more time to learn than others.

I want to master the art form of the camera because to me it’s a beautiful thing. I don’t think anything can compare to the way the camera captures, life, art and stories. Virtually anything can be told and seen through a lenses and I want to be able to do that a lot more and experiment with myself. It also allows me to explore new avenues and ways I can express myself. I am the lenses and I provide the eyes that the viewer is looking at through a screen.

It’s a beautiful thing and hopefully I am able to develop my skills up to the point where it becomes second nature and I don’t even have to think about it when I’m putting myself to the test. Hopefully I can do it as well as I write.

It’s been a while since I last wrote something on this website so I felt like doing something short and sweet. Here, I am going to list my five favorite YouTube travel channels and talk about what distinguishes them from the rest of the pack.

1. Jacob Laukaitis- Let’s get the most obvious out of the way shall we? Jacob is by far my favorite YouTube travel vlogger and he is also my favorite YouTuber in general. His inspiring messages on travel and life have transformed me into a better person and he always gives back to his fans through comments, merchandise and Instagram posts. He genuinely cares about his audience and for other people around the world. His personality is unparalleled and perfectly suited for this occupation. He can make a video of himself sitting in front of a camera for over an hour seem like five minutes because you’re so invested in what he’s saying. I can go on and on about him but I’ve spoken enough in my previous posts.
2. Indigo Traveller- Nick from New Zealand, with over 600,000 subscribers now. Nick is also one who gives back to his audience through feedback and giveaways (he once gave away a camera). He has incredible editing and video skills and he’s an expert at telling stories. Each story he tells in each country is so unique that you’d never even think that that location would consist of such material. Nick is extremely humble, well-spoken and overall just a down-to-earth guy who does his research and connects with anybody. He is not afraid to get out of his comfort zone and also does plenty of Q&A videos.
3. Drew Binsky- One of the most popular travel vloggers out there with over a million subscriptions, Binsky has been to nearly every country in the world. As of this post, he has less than ten remaining, and will finish his journey by July. Drew is the master at finding people with a story. He puts himself in precarious situations, sometimes life-endangering, to put together a piece of art that has the capability of touching anyone. Drew is super dedicated to his occupation and has made several behind-the-scene videos of his work and backstory. Because of his large following, it is hard to get responses from him but nonetheless, his content is tremendous. It’s arguably the best travel vlogger channel on YouTube and he’s an enthusiastic host who always tries to put all of his experiences into perspective. He really gives everyone a fair chance and does not judge right off the bat.
4. Wolters World- A very family-friendly orientated channel with Mark and Jocelyn Wolters at the forefront with their two children. The two of them are incredibly sociable and have so much travel advice for their followers. They have a variety of videos such as, “5 Things You’ll Love and Hate,” “Do’s and Don’ts,” and “Things You Should Know.” They are very honest in their videos and don’t hold back. If something rubbed them the wrong way, which is rare, then they’ll address it in one of their videos. But the advice they give is super helpful and they’re both knowledgable about virtually every location in the world. Plus, the pictures and videos of them in these locations adds a bit more spice to their content.
5. Joey Adventure- A relatively new travel channel by Joey Briggs, a 36-year-old Florida native who has recently undertook this occupation. I came across Joey through his meeting with Jacob in Uzbekistan for the World Influencer’s Congress and the guy is super energetic and full of life. He always has a smile on his face and is just fun to watch. He is so amazing with the camera and is someone who you can just relate to in some capacity. Of the five channels I’ve listed here, Joey is probably the one who is most laid back and easily goes with any flow there is (no offense to the others). Though he’s a rookie, he’s quickly developing a following, as he has already surpassed a thousand subscribers and one of his videos already has well over 100,000 views. Don’t be surprised to see him with 100,000 subscribers or more by the end of the year.

This might sound like another cliche title for an article but hear me out, there’s a reason why I’m writing about this. For a long time, I haven’t really set a major goal for myself and dedicated myself to finishing it. As I have gotten older, I’ve gone more and more with the flow rather than undertaking challenges. I got comfortable and as a result, I didn’t feel the necessity to really push myself and try new things. I felt that I was doing all I needed to do to succeed in life.

But the reality is, there’s always more you can, and you should always strive to do more. I found that giving yourself a limit as to what you are able to do is not always ideal. You can always attain new lessons, challenges, skills and mindsets. Continuously striving after something brand new has healthy benefits and provides a positive mentality within yourself. You learn to trust and feel good about yourself and it can help propel you through life in so many ways.

So nowadays, I am teaching myself how to pistol squats, which are one-legged squats. I had always wanted to master them but I kept pushing them off again and again. However, I felt enough was enough and I am going to try and eventually master them to the point where I don’t even have to think when I do them. I am fairly progressing little by little. I have an easier time balancing on my right leg than my left leg since I am right handed. The most I’ve gotten in a row has been three.

Now I want to increase that number and get to at least five by the end of this week. I definitely know I am capable of doing this exercise and it’s certainly tough. The hardest thing for me is maintaining my balance when I crouch all the way down. Sometimes my leg goes to the left or right and that throws my weight off and leads me to falling. So I am learning what I have to do as I go along.

I am not going to continue to ramble on about my progression however. It’s one thing to say it, rather than doing it. But what I want to be able to do is always try something new. Too often, I get scared to try something new, but it’s time for me to turn a new leaf and give this a shot. I will do everything in my power to become a stronger-minded person who is up for any challenge that’s thrown my way. That way, I become more resilient, and more importantly, curious. It goes hand-and-hand, which makes it all the more sweeter.

This is going to be a simple blog post, detailing the Top-10 places I’d like to visit in my lifetime. I will provide a quick synopsis as to why this country is on the list and what stands out about.

10. Australia- “The Land Down Under,” has captivated my interest for my entire lifetime primarily due to its wildlife and gorgeous scenery. Unfortunately, much wildlife and scenery has been destroyed due to ongoing fires but hopefully, the country is able to bounce back from these natural disasters and come back as strong and beautiful as ever before.

9. Russia- Put the tumultuous relationship with my country aside, Russia seems so fascinating to me. The designs of many of its buildings are out of this world. But the main reason I want to go is to interact with the locals and get their honest opinion as to what they truly think about the United States and why.

8. Lithuania- Jacob’s home country, it has now become a part of my bucket list since watching his video, “What is Lithuania?” It may be a small country but I know it contains big things on the inside, bigger than I could probably ever imagine. I also see a lot of simplicity here, especially in the capital of Vilnius. Put me down, I’m all for it!

7. South Africa- My goodness, what a mesmerizing location. If there was ever a place that was so out of my “bubble,” of life, in other words things that I am familiar with, this is it! From the culture, to the safaris to the wide open spaces you can practically find almost anywhere, this part of the world is a must-see for me and I need, NEED to go there one day.

6. Ireland- I have Irish heritage inside of me. I want to see what this country is all about. My alma matter, Sacred Heart University, had many courses offered in Dingle, which I didn’t take advantage of (not that I have any college regrets), and I feel that Ireland is a place where I am able to immerse myself with the locals so easily. From what I’ve heard and seen, the Irish are some of the most passionate and welcoming people you can find on earth and I’d love the opportunity to experience all of that first hand.

5. Germany- Another country that has really grabbed my attention. Its culture is so riveting that it sweeps me off my feet and makes me feel like I’m floating on air. I’ve seen a lot of pictures of cities and the foods and buildings and it all just jumps out at me, I cannot describe it.

4. China- Billions of people live in this country, and I’d be willing to speak with every single one of them. I think this would lead to an amazing adventure and would teach me so much more about life and how societies operate and differentiate with one another.

3. South Korea- A country that has really been appealing to me for the last three or four years, primarily because of its history. I’ve seen clips and pictures of its isolated brother country, North Korea, and just really want to get a sense of what Korean culture is all about. I definitely feel that this country will give me more of that than North Korea and I know it’ll surely be safer and legal.

2. New Zealand- About as far away from my hometown as you can possibly get. I heard that this place is full of surprises left and right and man does that sound like music to my ears. I really don’t know much about the country but that’s why it’s intriguing to me. I want to see what it’s made of.

1. Japan- Japan seems like such a well-sophisticated society that I feel I can appreciate. From the people, to the history to its love and passion of baseball, I know for a fact that WHEN I visit this country, it’ll leave me struck and inspired.