Assignment 3- Daniel Mendoza Vasquez

Travel is 'my thing', even though the only skill it takes is having an open mind and good budgeting skills. The first time I stepped (or rather, was carried) onto an airplane was a month after being born. I've been to nineteen countries since then, including these United States in that count given how much it can vary culturally. The experience of trying new foods and hearing other languages is something that I love, and something that I value more than most material things. Though I would say without hesitation that all of my trips have been memorable, China would be most deserving of being called an 'adventure'. The fact that visiting China was jarring for a Westerner is not really unique; but the seemingly opposite language, the distinctive food, and chaotic environment certainly challenged us. Of course, none of these things are bad, they are merely different. I've also lived in six different places, which is only enjoyable in retrospect. That first flight at one month of age took me from my birthplace of New Orleans to Bogota, where my mom's family resided, and where I would live for seven months. I subsequently bounced around between Colombia, Mexico, and North Carolina for a few years until we settled in Raleigh for my elementary schooling, and then here to Lexington. It's not a reach, then, to conclude that I have seen a lot of the world, and I'm proud of that. Of course, I'm also very lucky to have the opportunity to travel as frequently as I do, as I'm sure that there are many people that would, but can't. I hope to be able to maintain my pattern of travelling often, and though I don't really want to visit every country in the world, I do have plenty more to explore.