My interest in other countries has grown over the past several years, and I have been wanting badly to travel abroad. My family has the same feeling, but we had never been able to travel together (My parents have work, and taking over 2 weeks off is frowned upon). So by taking the initiative for my family and traveling abroad, I hope to appreciate and gaze upon the places which my parents have yearned to see. 
I have lived in the United States all my life, and not once have I been out of the country (or off the east coast for that matter). I would like to expand my horizons by traveling with the Italian Exchange Alumni to better my view of the world. By experiencing different cultures I hope to broaden my horizons, and become less of a person who supports his country to a person who supports his world. These features can only be gained by traveling to different areas of the globe, and what better way to travel than with classmates and teachers alike. Trips like these form bonds that last a lifetime, and I certainly do not want to miss out on this. I do not want to be holed up in America for the rest of my life, and this may be one of my only chances to “escape.” By taking this chance (which most of my family never had the chance to) I will be able to enjoy what my family has been missing out on.
Not only does the Italian Exchange give me a chance to meet new friends and people and see the “other side”, I get to see some of the most architecturally stunning buildings on the planet. Schloss Neuschwanstein (Fairy Tale Castle) is something I certainly do not want to miss, and it is the main reason I want to travel to Europe. And not only will this trip give me “eye candy” such as Schloss Neuschwanstein, it will give me a taste of the culture offered in Italy. The food (which I hope to learn how to cook and I hear is excellent in Italy), the customs, the clothing and the music are just a few examples of the new things I will see (and all of those will help to increase my cultural boundaries). Aside from Schloss Neuschwanstein (my number one reason for travel) my second reason for travel is the food. On the 2005-2006 exchange, we will be visiting the Ferrero factory ( the factory the manufactures Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Tic-Tacs). The word Ferrero alone makes me salivate, so this is another great incentive for me to travel abroad. 
Although this may be my first time applying for the Italian Exchange, I have been actively involved in the exchange for over a year. I have helped to sell candy, and my sales reach over $200 dollars (at least). And that was not even for my exchange trip. I definitely have Italy on the brain, and I am ready, eager and willing to help start any fund raisers, and to tackle any challenge headed my way. 
In closing, the Italian Exchange is perfect to help me to find where I want to be in the world and in life. If I do not go on this trip, I would be missing out on so many different cultural aspects of Earth. It is imperative that I join the Italian Exchange so that I may live to see the different areas of our planet. If I do not, I will become more closed minded, and more America-centric than ever before. And I do not want this, and I am sure that the rest of the world does not want this either.