In just over a month, I’ll be hitting the road again for my first international excursion of 2016: Brasil. Not only will I be checking the Olympics off of my bucket list, but I’ll get a chance to explore the Amazon while saving some time for spontaneity around the Rio de Janeiro state.

A lot of people in a corporate job will look at their time off of work as a “vacation” – an escape from the daily grind – but I look at my time abroad as one of my most important development experiences of the year. While the word “vacation” brings to mind thoughts of temporary escapism, the word “travel” makes me think of something completely different: leaving what’s familiar to you to approach daily life with a heightened sense of your surroundings and a thirst to explore.