For each new country that junior Arsenia Tompkins travels to, she journeys to a local Pandora Jewelry store and selects a charm to place on her travel charm bracelet for a keepsake.
Last summer, when Arsenia and her family visited Paris, France, they went to one such store while visiting the renowned Louvre Museum. While purchasing her charm, Arsenia’s mom accidentally made one of her favorite travel memories to date.
“The store clerk said ‘Bonjour’ to us, and my mom replied with ‘Hola,'” Arsenia said. “Which is kind of embarrassing, but it was really funny too.”
So far, Arsenia has traveled to a multitude of incredible countries and cities around the globe: Denmark, France, Italy, the Philippines, and Japan. In the United States, she’s been to Seattle, Washington DC, and Florida.
Arsenia has been flying to admired destinations for as long as she can remember, beginning when she went to the Philippines at age two to visit her foreign relatives. Ever since then, she’s found invaluable skills and life lessons through the art of exploring.
“I know how to handle situations differently because in the Philippines, they handle things differently, and respect is shown in different ways than here,” Arsenia said. “I think I’ve been able to pick up on that and then utilize that in situations that other people wouldn’t be able to.”
Arsenia first realized traveling was a topic of extreme interest to her after spring break last year, when she adventured to the Philippines and Japan. Her favorite travel experience was on that fateful trip; it was the first time she had seen her extended family living in the Philippines in seven years. To see them all again was a very heartwarming experience, further cementing her fondness for traveling.
Traveling brings Arsenia a special joy that no other hobby has ever provided her. In addition to reconnecting with family, she’s learned to see the world in different ways, visually and culturally. Through visiting other countries, she’s been educated on how other societies deal with government issues and how people with different ethnicities act separately from those in the same country. She also has been involved in diverting encounters she wouldn’t have been in if not for traveling, such as earning her scuba diving license last year while on vacation.
“I get to experience new things I wouldn’t be able to experience on a daily basis,” Arsenia said. “Most of the time when I travel somewhere, it’s somewhere sunny. Obviously, in Michigan, it’s sunny sometimes, but I think it’s just different [in other places], and it’s a whole new environment that you get to experience.”
Arsenia’s next vacation is to Paris for—once again—spring break. Following that trip, she will be going to Honduras this coming summer, where she will be using her scuba diving license extensively. She hopes to travel to the South of France and Lake Como, Italy one day. Having already experienced what France and Italy have to offer, Arsenia would love to continue exploring both destinations and the rest of the world.
With all the incredible knowledge and events Arsenia has picked up from her travels, she believes that traveling can make people open their minds to the contrasting ideals and cultures out in the world that are extremely different from the custom traditions in the United States.
“I think that people should try to travel more,” Arsenia said. “I think it’ll just make people happier, because I think it will just fill people with more experiences, and [people] can open their mind up to everything in the world. [It’ll make] people understand things better too.”
From the beautiful landscapes of the Philippines to the scenic ocean-view roads in Italy, Arsenia intends to travel as much as she possibly can in her lifetime to fuel her discoveries of new knowledge and culture. She encourages anyone soon visiting a newfound place to soak up the experience and live in the moment, as exploring a pristine setting can cause time to fly by. Additionally, she motivates everyone to try and enjoy themselves as much as possible, whatever the circumstances may be.
“When you go on trips with other people, don’t let other people ruin your experience,” Arsenia said. “It’s your trip too, and you deserve to have fun.”
