Assignment #3- Haley Noehren- Around the World and Back Again

I absolutely love traveling. So far I think I've been to around 34 of the states and have been out of the county three times. My dad is a bio-mechanics researcher and he frequently presents at conferences all over the country and the world. Our family loves to go with him to his conferences and explore the the cities and states that he visits.

The summer before my sophomore year we had the opportunity to go with him to Ireland, which was my first time overseas and to Europe. It was a really eye opening experience, as I got to see the local culture of the country. We divided the trip into two weeks, the first of which was spent exploring the countryside of Southern Ireland. This was the most eye opening part of the trip for me because it offered more opportunities to visit local sites tied to the local culture. We visited many castles and fortresses as we drove along the Ring of Kerry, and each one had a unique story. Most of the castles were either tied back to Ireland's feudal age or used partly as monasteries for Catholic monks. Visiting these places, rather than just reading about them online, really helped me to grasp what life was back during the gilded age and understand the living situations and daily lives of the some of the first people in Ireland. Overall, traveling to Ireland helped me get real world experience with a different culture and become better acquainted with their history.

Having traveled to so many states in my short 16 years of life, some memories and cities begin to blur together. Nonetheless, Utah and pretty much all of the New England region have been some of my favorite places. Iv'e only been to Utah a few times, but my mom's half of the family comes from there, and the mountains are absolutely breathtaking. Luckily I'll get to go this fall for a college visit to BYU and I can't wait to see more than just Salt Lake City. I absolutely love the New England region of the country. My dads half of the family is from New York, Connecticut, and Boston, and my family lived in Delaware for four years. Besides the family ties to the region, there are so many breath taking sites to visit and there is such a rich history surrounding the area.

I love traveling and learning about the history and cultures surrounding each place I visit. One day I hope to reach all 50 states and possibly travel back to some that I might not have spent enough time in. As I grow older I gain more respect and awareness for each place I visit, so I hope to continue travelling to engage with even more cultures.