Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, France, Canada and Mexico -- all together, 14. Fourteen is the number of countries Dr. Leah Larson, chair of the English Department, has visited so far.

When she was a baby, Larson traveled with her parents. Her first trip was to San Francisco at 3 weeks old. Larson’s father traveled a lot and after every trip she would sit with her father and talk about the experience.

“My mom never traveled as much as she wanted to, but was always saying how wonderful it is to travel.”

Traveling all around the world means tackling different languages. “It is easier to speak the language once you get to a country,” says Larson. “I don’t think I am fluent in anything,” but she knows enough to get around.

She is familiar with French and German. “Spanish I understand better then I speak and Italian I know enough to get by,” Larson says.

There is no favorite place or country for Larson. “Each has its charm.” Currently, she says she is getting to know more about France, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.

The country she feels most familiar with, including the United States, is Britain. However, one of the most memorable occurrences during her travels took place in Venice, Italy. It was Larson’s 21st birthday and “my first birthday away from home.” “I was kind of sad since I was alone and there were no presents.” So she took a ride on a vaporetto, a motorboat that is used as a bus in the canals of Venice, “and while I was getting off of it, there was a perfect rose by my feet.” Larson thought of that as a present from the city of Venice.

“I would encourage people to travel,” says Larson. “Traveling broadens your horizons.”

This past summer’s trip to Croatia and Slovenia made her realize that there is no “good and bad in war,” and that “each side is a victim and the perpetrator.”

She stresses that it is important to know about different cultures and people. With this in mind, she advises others to “take a risk.”