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After completing school at 18, I decided to peruse my life long dreams of travel. How did I do this you ask? I booked a plane ticket to the other side of the world on my own, despite having never left my own country. This may seem scary to most, and I assure you it was terrifying! As I packed my bags and headed to the airport, one thought occurred to me... Ellie, have you gone completely insane? Looking back it definitely was a crazy idea for my first travel experience. Although, it was the best decision I ever made. After spending the previous 2 years extremely unwell with mental health issues, I was blessed at this point to even be alive. This trip truly changed my life. After arriving at the hostel late at night, I entered a dark room to find 3 other volunteers all fast asleep. I attempted to quietly climb my bunk bed, avoiding waking the others. After slipping and falling flat on my face, i had woken one of the volunteers, I was greeted with a warm smile "Hi I'm Daniella, nice to meet you". This iconic moment lay the foundations of the rest of the trip... living my best life, with the most weird and wonderful people. I ventured around the local markets, stood parallel to the extrodaniary Christ the Redeemer and partied all night with gangs as if it was just another day, and this was all within the first day! I spent those 3 weeks living my childhood dream, and I don't regret a single second of it. After early mornings volunteering with kids in the favelas, to late nights partying out in the streets of Rio, I did everything and more that i could have ever visioned. After returning home, I was belated. The dream was over, my journey was complete. So what next you ask? What do you give to the girl who has achieved everything she has ever dreamed? Travel. Travel isn't just the one time trip to Rio. Travel isn't just the sun and sand holiday sat by the beach. Travel is everywhere and the world is wide. Explore and find more out of life. Experience new cultures, find new friends, and most importantly... never stop dreaming.