The Wanderlust Experiment

My name is Kaitlin Palma and I am a student currently based in Southern California studying Film and Literature. I enjoy watching comedic movies that my bladder cannot handle, shooting photos and videos of beautiful things, and consuming copious amounts of sushi or anything with cheese. If someone were to ask me what love feels like, I would tell him/her to hop on any form of transportation and go somewhere he/she has never been.

A couple years ago, I left home to find adventure, studying abroad in Spain for the entirety of an academic year, and spending some time traveling western Europe with amazing people. The thrill of wandering allowed me to see things I have never seen before, while feeling things I want to keep feeling. I continued my travels into the following year when "real" school had to come back into the picture, taking small trips here and there, not too far from home. In the midst of my excursions, I came to the revelation that the most profound part of these trips were the stories I would take home with me. From I stories heard from strangers, to experiences I had with those whom I traveled with, to witnessing the lives of those I was able to help, to even the lives that have helped me, these tales displayed the beauty of the human experience. Winning this adventure would mean being given the opportunity to capture even more stories. By doing so, we are not only preserving experiences soon to be history, but enriching our view of what it means to be here now.