Vanuatu

Over winter break during my freshman year of college, I backpacked across Southeast Asia. It was in Singapore that I met an Australian traveler named Seb. We stayed in touch over the years, became good friends, and he often told me he wanted to join me on one of my trips. As I neared the end of my journey to every country, I finally gave him a list of destinations to choose from. Without hesitation, he picked Vanuatu.

We spent five days exploring Efate, the country’s main island, kayaking through crystal-clear lagoons, jumping from waterfalls, and riding ATVs through the jungle. It was the perfect place to slow down and enjoy the natural beauty of the South Pacific. While the scenery was incredible, what made Vanuatu especially meaningful was sharing it with someone I’d met near the beginning of my journey. One of the unexpected gifts of traveling the world was realizing that the people I met along the way didn’t just become memories. Many became lifelong friends who were still part of my story years later.