I think the realization that I was the luckiest girl in the world hit me on the side of a mountain in the south of Spain. My three friends and I had just eaten a lunch cooked for us by the Dutch equivalent of the Croc Hunter, a guy called Metal Mickey (named so for the plate in his head).

After lunch, we hopped into the back of a dusty Land Rover for the 45-minute bumpy drive down to civilization. Our guide pulled over for a spectacular view at a spot overlooking the Mediterranean.

I was trying to squint to make out Africa on the horizon when it hit me: Penn State has defined me and has given me some of the best moments in my life. And when I look back, I realize that most of my life-defining moments relate to traveling.

To me, college really is about traveling, moving, experiencing new things, surpassing boundaries, passing borders into new territories, etc. Before you think I'm absolutely bonkers, I'll summarize it: Traveling makes us who we are. You might realize the same, with some stretch of the imagination. I'd guess that the majority of Penn State students come from several hours away.

In fact, my distance from Pittsburgh was a big issue to the high school boyfriend. Our break-up was inevitable, as I'm sure it was for many others in the same situation. Getting out of the high-school relationship is sometimes the best thing these couples can do. My parents moved twice in the past four years -- first to Cincinnati and then to South Carolina. I joke around, saying they're trying to abandon me, but I've realized that their moves have made me a far more independent and appreciative daughter. I've always been close with my parents, but now I cherish our visits even more.

I don't know that I'd have realized that if they hadn't moved 650 miles away. And then there's studying abroad. Everyone who's done it knows that it's a life-defining experience. To be quite honest, my best semester at Penn State was the one not spent in Pennsylvania.

I realized I could have a blast on my own on a trip to another city (Edinburgh), attending a play and exploring the city. I eventually met up with some Penn Staters, and never again will I get to hang out with a bunch of guys in town from Aberdeen for a bachelor party. There are countless other experiences that changed my outlook on things, but I can't (and don't want to) sum them up here. I strongly believe studying abroad should be a requirement for all students, no matter the major. Traveling also made me reconsider my not-so-agreeable personality. I'm very Type-A; I organize and plan to the point of getting an ulcer, so you can imagine how fun it was to be around me this semester when I was writing my thesis. It was very liberating to plan a weekend trip to California for Lebowski Fest, an event at which the movie's fans bowl and meet celebrities from The Big Lebowski.

After so many near sleepless nights with my thesis, I was never so glad to escape State College for a weekend. On my flight back from California, I realized something that defined me as a person. I already knew that as a journalist, I'll never end up rich.

I realized then that I would much rather save my wages for trips to visit friends and family, because memories (and photographs and laughter) are absolutely irreplaceable. Give me a job, a little apartment and a plane ticket somewhere and I'll be happy as anything, even though I'll be broke for a good deal of my life.

Traveling and moving have made it clear to me -- I'm not ready to settle down into one town for the next 15, 30, 45 years. I'm glad I have no attachments to my hometown, because it's making me that much freer to look for a job. If only positions existed for travel copy editors. I could find dangling modifiers and comma splices while exploring Italy or crossing the Sahara on a camel! Oh, the adventure.

Now if you'll excuse me, to quote Simon and Garfunkel, I've gone to look for America ...