Aria Levin

Let Us Learn: 32 Things My Solo Travels Taught Me

After I graduated high school, I made the decision to take a gap year to travel, gain clarity for my future, and learn more about the world around me. I had never stepped out of my comfort zone to such an extreme before. I was a straight A student, I followed all of the rules, and I was on track to go straight to college on a full tuition scholarship, because that’s the track that society has set in place for high school graduates. Taking a gap year is normal in other countries, but in America it’s rather unconventional, and yet so important. I learned more about myself in four months than I had in four years of high school, and I returned home more changed than I could have ever imagined. As I sat in a coffee shop in Cusco, Peru on my last day in South America, I reflected on all of the people I had met, the times I had been forced into, situations outside of my comfort zone, and what it looked like for me to return home and interact with people whom I hadn’t spoken to in months. I began writing a list of everything I had learned, and everything I wanted to continue learning in the coming months and years.