5 Disney songs inspired me to become a world traveler. I've now been to 79 countries on all 7 continents.

Like many kids raised in the '90s, Disney music was my soundtrack of choice for the early years of my life. Some of my happiest childhood memories are the trips my family took to Disneyland and Disney World.

Disney classics continued to influence me as an adult. When I was in my early 20s, I'd listen to a playlist of Disney songs to lighten a challenging day at work. And in 2015, when I decided to resign from my nine-to-five job to become a full-time globe trotter, I realized that Disney had inspired me into becoming a world traveler, as well.

As I made my way through all seven continents, I realized certain songs and movies were guiding my choices in where to go.

Song lyrics about exploration made me passionate about going on a safari to see African wildlife, getting under the sea to witness aquatic creatures, and more.

When I finally visited destinations I'd always dreamed of, it was Disney songs that ran through my mind.

I love most Disney movies, but these were the four films and five songs, in particular, that motivated me to travel to specific destinations.

My favorite Disney cartoon has always been "Aladdin." As a child, I adored the music, bustling bazaars, and colorful clothing in Disney's 1992 movie, which is set in the fictional destination of Agrabah.

The original story of "Aladdin" is actually based on the Middle Eastern folk storybook, "One Thousand and One Nights." French translator Antoine Galland added the story of "Aladdin" after he heard the tale from Syrian storyteller, Hanna Diyab. The English translation for the collection of stories is "Arabian Nights," which is the same title as the opening song in Disney's "Aladdin.

The character of Aladdin may live in a fictional place, but the song "Arabian Nights" inspired me to visit Morocco. When I found myself in the Moroccan Sahara Desert in the seemingly endless heat, I couldn't help but hum "Arabian nights" to myself:"Arabian days, more often than not are hotter than hot."

I was so inspired, the song and movie eventually led me to Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and The United Arab Emirates, too.

Many songs from Disney's "Aladdin" came to mind during my trips to the Middle East and Northern Africa.

While "Arabian Nights certainly inspired me to visit the region, my favorite track from the movie has actually always been "A Whole New World."

I was three when the cartoon debuted and was immediately enchanted with the concept of the world being "shining, shimmering, splendid."

Although I never found a magic carpet on any of my travels, I did find a way to reach a new fantastic point of view when I visited Turkey last year.

As a direct result of my inspiration from the movie, I rode in a hot air balloon in Göreme, Cappadocia, over valleys of mushroom-shaped structures. Like Jasmine and Aladdin sang, I was in utter bliss as we soared over unbelievable sights and hundreds of thousands of things to see.

Hercules is a mythological hero in ancient Greek and Roman stories. And although I've visited both Italy and Greece, it wasn't until I reached Jordan that I was reminded of the "Go the Distance" song from the 1997 Disney cartoon "Hercules."

I visited the Temple of Hercules in the Amman Citadel where all that's left of a gigantic statue of the hero is a massive hand and elbow.

Visiting the temple reminded me that like Hercules sang, I continue to dream of far-off places and know I can go the distance like a shooting star and search the world. It's why I decided to become a full-time traveler, and perhaps I have this movie to thank.

Like many children, I was obsessed with "The Lion King" as a kid. So much so, it spurred my dream of one day going on a safari to see African animals in the wild.

When I finally went on a safari for the first time in Rwanda, the movie's iconic soundtrack played in my head as I spotted elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions, buffalo, hippos, baboons, and more.

And as I witnessed baby animals under the watchful eye of their parents, it brought to mind the scene that accompanies the song, "Circle of Life," which includes phrases in Zulu.

The lyrics that stood out, in particular, were "there's more to see than can ever be seen." While I've visited 79 countries, which may seem like a large portion of the globe, it's only just over a quarter of the world's countries and I dread knowing that I might not get to go everywhere in the world.

But I took solace reminding myself that I was able to realize my dreams one by one, like going on safari, something I had wanted ever since I first saw Simba on screen.

Disney's "The Little Mermaid" was released the same month I was born in San Diego, California, in October 1989.

It was probably the first Disney movie I watched, which may be why I've always believed that "life under the sea is better." For my whole life, I've been happiest by the water and was raised with a deep appreciation for the ocean during my early years in California and Uruguay. The first time I ever snorkeled was when I was a pre-teen in Hawaii and I've been in love with the aquatic hobby ever since.

But seeing the world of sea life that exists deep under the water in "The Little Mermaid" always made me want to go down further than just swimming on top of the waves.

In fact, the song's lyrics —"right here on the ocean floor, such wonderful things surround you" — always stuck in my head. So when I visited Raja Ampat, Indonesia, I decided to find the courage to go scuba diving for the first time, as it's know to have the most diverse aquatic life in the world.

The song came to life as I dove down into the biodiverse region and saw black-tipped sharks chasing sting rays, plenty of octopus, cuddle fish camouflaging to match their surroundings, technicolored nudibranchs, and a tiny sea horse.

The movie remains a favorite, as does this memory directly inspired by it.