First time leaving the south

I was fortunate to get a scholarship through the University of Alabama and CEA CAPA so I essentially got to go abroad for free. I have never traveled outside of the south, let alone go without my family. CEA CAPA supported me throughout my journey and helped me connect with people along the way. I was able to visit 5 countries while abroad, with people I had only just met. It was a journey of a lifetime that I would love to return to. I got to live in the oldest part of our neighborhood, I was expected to be greeted with distaste, but I was accepted with open arms into the culture.