This trip has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl while listening to my grandfather talk about the fascinating culture he gets to call his own. During times of stress in my life, whether it be trapped behind my books during exam season or working long weeks, this trip is often what I fantasize about to escape. As mentioned, I have been lucky enough to travel many places in my life, but I have lacked experience in the European culture of my heritage, which this trip will fulfill. My grandfather has now retired to Denver, and I am fortunate if I see him yearly, so I am looking forward to the sense of connection to him I hope to find throughout this trip. I love the feeling of being surrounded by history that old architecture brings, and since my closest encounters have been in Montreal, I know that I will discover something new about myself. This trip is so important to me because I have planned it by myself, with no itinerary, and it is an opportunity to push my boundaries and leave my travel comfort zone (which has been curated by many resort based trips with my parents and friends). The price is certainly not low for only 7 days in Europe, but I honestly feel like getting the most out of the trip involves not being limited by trying to save money. You only get to take your dream trip once, and the price will only make me work harder for this to become a reality. I have never been one to make decisions easily, but I have always been sure of my want to go on this trip. Since my life path after graduation is uncertain, I know that the trip through Europe, and especially Positano, will give me clarity in my next steps. I cannot wait to embark on this journey and am excited to find the person that it allows me to become. Following this trip, I know I will have a new sense of self as I will be discovering what I am capable of as a tourist and learning so much about the heritage that makes me who I am. This will give me a knew sense of confidence in myself for future travels, no matter where they take me. :)