10 memories that keep me going

It's been a strange semester. Between juggling two jobs, school, extracurriculars, and desperately trying to have a social life, I've been feeling a little lost. Lost because I don't know what I'll be doing after graduation in May. Lost because I don't feel like I have a "thing" anymore or something to look forward to. And lost because, for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can't keep running. I've come to realize that travel--with all it's excitement, joy, and wonder--has been both a source of great inspiration and great pain for me. I can see how I've used travel as a way of escape reality. It's been a way for me to put my life on hold, over-stimulate myself in all-things new and novel, and ignore facing the thoughts I've tried to suppress. And I'm quickly realizing that I can't keep using studying abroad or international internships as a way of ignoring my personal problems.

But on the flip side, my memories abroad have been the truest sense of inspiration and strength for me. Whenever I'm having a bad day, feeling overwhelmed or alone, I sit and think about the amazing things I've seen and experienced in the last few years. I have a constant memory reel playing in the back of my head. In this, I soar over the mountains in Zhangjiajie, explore the caves of Guilin, wonder at the sunrise at Mount Bromo, and stargaze in Koh Samui. I remember that life is bigger than College Park, Maryland. I remember that my dreams are bigger than my college campus. And I remember that I only feel trapped when I allow myself to feel hopeless. The only person withholding my freedom is me. And, today, I'd like to share 10 places (or pictures) that keep me going day-in, day-out. Because they remind me that there's more out there. I just have to go find it.