Over the next couple of blogs I want to share with you guys where I have gotten to travel this summer. However, I first want to explain how I was able to afford traveling when I am a BROKE college student.
As I have said before I am from a very small town in south Mississippi. I grew up with a family who has always loved to travel. Ever since I was a little girl I remember traveling with my family, and those are some of my favorite childhood memories. My grandparents have also always pushed us to travel any opportunity we may have. Therefore, I guess you could say it is in my blood to always want to be on the road headed for my next adventure! However, I come from a family who works hard for their money and traveling is the sweet reward. This means we don’t get to travel as much as we would always like because, duh, money is necessary. So, for the most part we have stayed within the United States traveling to North Carolina to see the Blue Ridge Mountains and out west to see The Grand Canyon & Yellowstone. However, this summer I was able to take my first TRUE trip out of the country and really see the world. This opportunity would have never been possible if I did not have such a supportive family who push me to achieve my goals.
How I Was Able to Travel Through Europe for 3 Weeks!
Now, what you are all wondering is “How did this broke a** college student afford traveling through Europe for 3 weeks?” No I did not take out a loan. No I did not save up all my money for months. I put in hours of hard work and showed my passion for travel.
“A lot of hard work is hidden behind nice things.”
-Ralph Lauren
I am an architecture student at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. The School of Architecture at MSU offers amazing opportunities for students within the architecture program. The school offers two very prestigious travel scholarships that allow two students to travel and study architecture wherever it is that they propose. Nine other applicants and I were competing, all with separate proposals. One scholarship is $20,000 and the second is $5,000, both winners to be chosen from the ten applicants. I was fortunate enough to be chosen for the second travel scholarship, the $5,000 Trussell Travel Award. Without this scholarship, I would have NEVER in a million years had the opportunity to travel to some of the most gorgeous places on the planet.
Opportunities like these do not just fall into your lap. They take a lot of hard work and time to show people that you mean business and that you want to go far.
Once I was presented with the $5,000 I was able to use this money to travel and study architecture. I chose to study wooden architecture not only in the historical sense, but how it is making its way into architecture today. Wood is the MOST rapidly renewable resource to be used as a building material, which makes it one of the most sustainable building products as well. Therefore, I wanted to study this building method not only because it is sustainable, but because it is so beautiful. As I talk about my travels in the blogs to come I will share with you my thoughts on wooden architecture as well as things I learned along the way.
I hope that you enjoyed this! Tune in next Monday to find out where I went on my first adventure!
Chronicles of a Broke Adventurer 