At some point in our lives we have all become familiar with the famous last lines of Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken." They read:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
We all have moments in our lives were we meet forks in the road and have to decide which route we want to follow. Other times, outlying circumstances beyond our control force us down one path or the other. I find my life to be no different. The choices I’ve made and the paths I’ve decided to follow have led me to where I am today. Sure, there have been detours along the way, but I wouldn’t have had things happen any differently.
However, now I find myself at a crossroads that I have never been at before. International travel. As I sit writing this, I am a little over two months removed from leaving for an eight-month journey to Italy. It will be the first time I’ve ever left the United States. There have only a couple of occasions where I’ve even left the Midwest. Some people at Notre Dame live thousands of miles away from campus. I live 9.37 miles from Notre Dame. Yes, I actually checked.
For me, it’s like a couple roads diverging and then branching off in more paths than I can count. There are so many new places to visit and many new experiences ahead of me. By the end of my journey I’ll probably have visited more European countries than U.S. states.
My goal with this year abroad is to discover the beauty of the places I go and apply what I learn to both my architectural studies and my life. I have been blessed with a great opportunity, and I plan on using it to its fullest. This journey will not be about finding the best roads to take. For me, it will be defined by finding the significance along whatever roads I take, no matter where they lead. That is what will make all the difference.
Lastly, I pray that more people other than my mom read this blog.
