Everyone has the option to do whatever they want throughout the summer. Whether it be working, taking a college class, or hanging with friends, students in high school have the chance to do whatever they desire. However, Cadet Luis Martinez took a  chance that not a lot of students in high school get.

This past summer, Martinez took matters into his own hands and traveled to Europe with the help of The Road Less Traveled program.

“It felt great, it was a humbling experience. It was nice getting out of my neighborhood and exploring the world,” said Martinez.

Life in Europe was very different from the life he lives in Chicago. Being a successful student and achieving heights that a lot of students don’t pursue, Martinez was finally able to breathe a little. There are many  struggles students face and being able to get away was  very therapeutic and salubrious.

“Leaving my family was not an issue. My parents understand that I will have to start making it on my own one day, and I had previously been at Stanford for 3 weeks. With that said, my trip felt very quick, and I didn’t feel that bad. My perspective did change, though. I wanted to escape my bubble in Chicago and explore the world more,” said Martinez.

Traveling the world is exciting, especially if you are  with some really cool people.

“We had a French lady as a tour guide, and she shared with us a lot of how she grew up. She said, ‘We had nothing….. Now, we have too much! She wanted us to value the tiny things in life and she made a huge impact on me.”