Hey, I’m Samuel. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston, but have been living in Australia for the past few months.
Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to go into the design industry. I have always been a detail guy, noticing everything from lights to kitchen appliances. I found myself critiquing buildings I visited, figuring out what I liked and didn’t like and always asking myself: How could this be better? Additionally, I have always had a strong sense of imagination and have dreamed of turning these ideas into real places.
I grew up going on luxurious vacations with my family during our school vacation weeks, so I was introduced to travel at a young age. My family spent time in Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, and Mexico, to name a few places. While these trips brought us to picturesque places and five-star resorts, we never did much aside from laying on the beach and eating at fancy restaurants.
It wasn’t until after high school that my family took our first trip overseas together. My parents, sister, grandma, and I went to Prague to visit our old babysitter in her hometown. She and her then-husband showed us all around the city and even took us to some nearby Czech villages! Additionally, we made a stop in Paris, since it was on everyone’s list! This trip opened my eyes to a new world of travel, architecture, and amazing historical sites. I was even more excited to go on to study architecture in college!
While attending the University of Miami, I embarked on two summer study abroad programs that continued to expand my horizons. After my freshman year, I went on the “Grand Tour of Europe” trip to Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid, Rhodes, Mykonos, and Athens. Later in my studies, I participated in the “Kyoto Open City Studio,” with side trips to Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo. All of a sudden, I was not only seeing slides of famous buildings in my theory and history classes but was actually experiencing them in person! These trips were a major highlight of my college experience!
After graduating in the fall of 2016, I settled down to work for an architecture firm in Miami. There, I continued to grow as a young architect, learning new skills to help me succeed in the profession. I didn’t spend much time traveling during the first year of my career but had always longed to go back to Europe to visit the many places I did not get to see while studying abroad.
After doing some research, I set off on a trip that would change my life forever: my first solo trip to Europe! I went to Copenhagen and Amsterdam: two cities that I did not visit while studying abroad in college. In these cities, I visited more buildings that I studied in class and was exposed to new cultures and delicious food. It was also my first time staying at a hostel, where I quickly made friends with other travelers and got a local experience that I never got while staying at a hotel.
This trip was only the beginning of many solo trips that I would take. Initially, I thought that checking places off my bucket list would make me more ready to settle down. However, with each trip taken, my bucket list has only gotten larger and I have met some of the most amazing people along the way.
Now, I have a greater desire than ever to visit new places, explore new cultures, meet new people, and see all the architecture styles that this world has to offer! I have come to realize that this is the time in my life to do it. My big adventure is only beginning!