Britton

Describe your hometown.
I live in the middle of a cotton field. Literally. To build my house, we cleared out an acre of cotton and went to work. The town where I go to school and the church have fewer than 300 people. The town has one gas pump and one small grocery store. There is one stoplight and it’s just a red, flashing light (no yellow or green lights). We very often don't have a police officer because we have to share one with other townships.

What’s the biggest difference between your hometown and the cities you visited in Spain and Morocco?
The major differences between where I live and where we visited are people and culture and history, especially the culture. Apathy kind of rules the day where I live, and people don't have much hope of getting out. The places we visited were exciting and vibrant and oozing with adventure and change!

If you could pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be??
Genuine. What you see is what you get. I don’t put up a front. Who I am is who I am, no matter who you are. I feel better for having met the people on this trip, though. They had lots of questions about my beliefs, and that gave me a good chance to look really closely at myself to see why I am who I am and why I believe the things I believe.

What were you most excited about before traveling to Spain and Morocco?
I was most excited about seeing culture. When we saw the monument to Christopher Columbus, I was like, "Wow." Likewise, when we saw the gravestones under which Ferdinand and Isabella had been laid to rest. You just can't imagine how history comes to life when you see it until you actually see it. I was most excited about seeing history come to life, and I was so not disappointed.

Now that you've been bitten by the travel bug, where do you want to go on your next trip abroad?
Oh, I want to see Rome and Greece. And I will!

How have your ideas about the world changed since retuning home from Life on Tour?
I never intended to stay in Wardell, but I absolutely, positively must get out and explore now. It's so cliché to say “There's a big world out there,” but seeing a part of it just compels me to go see more. I learned about myself on the trip, too. There is independence and strength in me that I had hoped was there, but I couldn't know until this experience. It's something I can't really put in words; it's not tangible, but I just feel more ... awake. I am so grateful for this travel experience. Everybody should travel.

What’s your favorite memory from Life on Tour: Spain and Morocco™?
Culturally, my favorite memories would be fighting a bull, riding and eating a camel, and handling the snake, as well as seeing history come to life . The beauty of the Mediterranean overwhelms me, still. Just the memory of Seville—the horse-drawn carriages, the fountains—makes me smile. Personally, seeing Hassenna play on the stage at the Hard Rock Cafe was a really beautiful thing. This trip was indescribable on so many different levels, each one better than the one before.