"So why did you choose to go to Sweden of all places?" It has been the most unavoidable question in the past 18 months of my life. Once those words have been spoken by a passing acquaintance I cringe and search for an answer to get out of this particular conversation topic as fast as possible. I have told people that my lifelong dream is to manage an Ikea and they send you to Sweden for intensive training. I have said that I was on a mission to get Abba back together. When I am feeling tired and unoriginal however I just say  I took a year to see all the beautiful women Sweden has to offer and that usually gets me off the hook pretty quickly. To be honest there aren't a lot of reasons for a sandal wearing, surf enthusiast from Southern California to travel to one of the coldest countries in the world. Yet as a 19 year old I made the journey for what would become the most unforgettable year of my life.

To actually find out the answer to why I chose to go to Sweden would require one to get to know my personality. I prefer the life of a vagabond, consistently changing my setting. I find an excitement in the unsettled, and when pushed out of my comfort zone is when I get to experience life's greatest rewards as well as its greatest struggles. I just love the act of travel when others find it as a burden. There is relaxation in staring out of the window of a train as the landscape changes before my eyes. I love to examine an airports big board of destinations and arrivals and often wonder what everyone's alibi for going to a place like Krakow or Kansas. I have boarded over 40 airplanes in the past 18 months and as well as countless trains and I still love to travel.

Thats not to say a life of travel is a life of luxury. On the contrary, I have had nights sleeping on the streets of Stockholm huddled with friends for warmth. I have panicked while watching a friend run after a train while I head for Rome without him. I've been interrogated by the dreaded TSA and had to have a full blown investigation. Those are mishaps that happen with travel, but it isn't the worst part. The worst part is I often wonder if a life of travel and change has any huge effects on my life and the people around me. This year at Sonoma State will be the first time I attend a school for more than two years. Sometimes I feel as if I will never play a giant role in anyone's life but rather I make cameo appearances. Every time I get down or I miss home though I realize how much there is to explore in this world and how suffocating some of those suburban nights can be. I realize that there is plenty of time to settle into one place and that I am always ready for the next adventure.