For the Love of Travel: Danielle Has Always Been a Traveler

Danielle Husseini has always been a traveler, even at an early age. As a kid, her family would pack up and head to Lebanon as soon as school ended. They would set off for Lebanon for the whole summer, prioritizing spending time with their family. Even though her many cousins are scattered through different areas, her father having nine brothers and sisters, the whole family would return to Lebanon.

Her family would visit different places along the way, mainly in Europe, but has also been to Egypt a few times. Despite taking those trips for granted, as so many children often do, the experiences sparked the travel gene inside her. In college, she decided to travel by herself for the first time as she studied abroad in Barcelona.

Danielle’s favorite place to travel is Lebanon to see her family. Outside of Lebanon, she is partial to Greece, Italy, and Milan. She found herself being able to correlate Greek food with Lebanese food, with the similarities of dishes like the Greek gyro and Lebanese shawarma. However, she still values the Greek islands and the beauty that lies there.

The next places to head to are South Africa and Dubai. Another desire of hers is to see more of the United States and broaden her horizons. She suggests that when looking at how long to stay for a trip, set the trip for about a week and a half. Being able to give oneself time to explore without having to rush helps make the trip more meaningful.

Her father has always had an aversion to tourist traps, making sure to go beyond the inner city. There was something more to seeing how real people lived outside of crowded areas. Danielle has taken that with her, always valuing the importance of seeing how real people live. It changes a person’s perspective, gives them a moment of realization that life extends far beyond our comprehension. There are different social norms, fashion, foods, and even architecture that are their day-to-day, but not yours. Being enmeshed in different cultures, even for a small amount of time, can change everything.

“From my balcony in Lebanon.”