The financial aspect of the Fellowship allowed me to travel more and farther than I would have been able to afford on my own. The global service aspect is also something that changed my Gap Year plans. The Fellowship has given me an extra push to focus my travels and Gap Year on serving the world and looking for ways to be a productive global citizen. I went to Spain not knowing a single soul, and I left with a travel journal full of contacts not only in Spain but also throughout the rest of the world. While I was not necessarily shy to start with, traveling alone really forces you to put yourself out there, in a safe way, for people to get to know and trust and create a relationship with.