A Paris Morning
I blink my eyes groggily, as my eyes focus on the white ceiling above me. Next to me, I can hear my brother softly breathing as my mom and dad tiptoe around the room, pulling together our necessities...
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10,000 Miles Worth of Memories
Traveling about 10,000 miles away seems like a crazy trip to make, especially landing on one of the world’s most populated nation: China. Coming from the airport...
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Heating Up in the City of Hotpot
As I boarded the narrow puddle-jumper that would take me to my final destination of Chengdu, China, I couldn’t help but feel a bit queasy. Now this kind of queasiness wasn’t from the...
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I Love This City: 6 Weeks in Chengdu
Melodious voices rise, mixing and dispersing above the steamy pavement of a corner-side pavilion, attracting curious passersby. Actually, the staring eyes are more likely drawn by the fact that these...
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Wondering at the World at a Wonder of the World: My trip to the Taj Mahal
I swat a few flies away from my face as I plaster on a confident smile and proudly pose in front of the Taj Mahal in the blistering heat. The Taj is undeniably beautiful. Neither photographs...
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Outrunning the Sun
It was a bit of a misnomer. Of course, I didn’t find out until much later that there were no wolves on Rising Wolf Mountain. In this season of life, everyday seems to bring new...
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The Magic of Marakesh
A couple of years ago I went on a vacation to Marakesh, Morocco. The old part of town is a labyrinthine maze of shops and stalls (called souks). I kept wandering through this vast sea of stalls amazed...
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Misread Signs
After such memorable experiences as enjoying boat rides and exhilarating sailing lessons in the Vancouver Harbor and an afternoon at Playland at the PNE, on our final night of my first out of the...
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Experiencing the World, and Myself
Adrenaline rushed through my veins; my world seemed to close around me, leaving me like a beacon of light in a world of forever growing darkness. The thoughts of backing out flooded my mind; I couldn’t,...
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Peru Adventures
My name is Lauren Cole and I am a rising senior at Highland School of Technology. This past June, as part of the Gastonia Sister Cities Student Exchange Program, I traveled to Peru where I lived...
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Mission Israel
Scared, nervous, excited, and a little fearful. Everything was so surreal and I couldn't wrap my head around it all. It was actually happening, I was finally going to Israel on my very first...
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Heart to Heart in China
This trip has not been so thrilling or heart-warming as it was spontaneously educational. I have learned more about myself and about the world around me through the experiences of thirteen distinctive...
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Golden Heaven
The slight chill was still making its way through and the sun had not yet made its arrival. However, a shade of orange was crawling through the sky. Shopkeepers were starting to prepare for...
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My Time in Tanzania
The last day of seventh grade came to an end, and my classmates talked about summer plans—tanning, swimming, beach trips, etc. Meanwhile,...
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A Surprise Adventure in Paris
All throughout junior year, my default answer to the question of how I’d be spending my summer was “the Europe trip,” which was what I had come to call the 10-day European tour...
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Grand Arizona Adventure: From Red Rocks to the Best View of Them All
The jaded road ahead radiated with heat from the Arizona sun. The land around the asphalt was dusty and cracked. It was speckled with pale green shrubs and was wrapped by forgotten barbwire...
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Getting Lost.
Castles, Cathedrals and Cats, oh my! If there were three things that my trip this past summer had plenty of, those would definitely be at the top of the list. Where do you ask, was the land that possessed...
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Changing Viewpoints: Icacos Point
Road trips are an iconic American family vacation. Driving down classic two-lane American roads across the country, windows rolled all the way down to enjoy the fresh air, board games strewn across...
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European Odyssey
Family: ”a social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for.” With that said, I have many families. One that has made the most difference...
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Hawaiian Dream
It is crazy to think that it has been four years since my family and I hopped on a plane and went to Hawaii. Every moment of the trip is still fresh in my mind. It seems like it was just yesterday...
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Isla del encanto
This year, I was able to go to Puerto Rico. Although the plane ride was quite long, about 6 hours, it was well worth the wait. We had visited oceans like Crash Boat and Isabella. The ocean...
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An Experience in Japan
My dad was given the opportunity to go to Tokyo, Japan through a business conference held by an international research organization. Seeing this opportunity as a sign, my entire family decided on...
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I’m Just a Bill, a Lonely Bill, Sitting on Capitol Hill
As I was walking, I saw this crystal clear lake, glistening from the bright sun. The lake was inhabited by white flawless birds. I saw tourist and locals sitting on the edge of the lake reading,...
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Alaska is Sexy
In June I traveled to Alaska, expecting to only build houses, but I got much more than that. From atop mountains I relished in magnificent views of the Gulf of Alaska, ate delicious...
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The Road to Excellence
The stage lights turn on and everyone takes their seat and adjusts their stand; the moment is finally here. We raise our instruments and take our first deep breath; everyone hears our director’s...
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Blowhole, Bus Tour, and Independence Day
The road was rough, and the bus was full of chatter. It was the Fourth of July, and my family and I were in Ensenada, Mexico for our last stop on our Carnival Inspiration Cruise. We had signed up...
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Japanese cherry blossom ice cream and enchanted gardens
As a 15-year-old, when I heard that my family was taking a trip to the Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, I was far from keen. But as I stepped into the one-of-a-kind Cloud Forest...
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A Satisfied Hunger
Walking down Roman avenues in the early morning instills an exciting feeling. We catch a bus to take us into the city. We ride the bus through the streets and see what anyone would see going through...
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The Oregon Tale
The story of this vacation started as the plane wheels left the runway, but the journey to Oregon truly began the moment Mt. Hood decorated the plane windows with snow-covered mountaintops. Here...
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Scuba Diving–It’s A Different World Down There
Scuba diving can make you see the world differently. This is what happened to me when I went scuba diving with my dad in the Philippines. The weather was hot and the water...
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Landing in London
After two years of raising money, planning and practice, we had finally made it. The Shawnee Mission West High School marching band landed in London, England, just two days after Christmas...
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Having the Eyes to See
When it came time for my family to make our way to California for a cruise down the Mexican Riviera, I wasn’t...
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Music Without Borders
After a two and a half hour drive from Prague, we finally arrived in Dresden. This was the sixth stop for our orchestra’s tour in Germany and the Czech Republic. The bus drove us to the edge...
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Orlando Area: Theme Parks Plus
Though my parents took my sister and me to Orlando, Florida before I entered elementary school, I barely remember the trip. Hoping to refresh my memory and create memories for my youngest sister,...
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Foreign Yet Familiar
Cramped and weary from our seven hour flight, we stepped onto foreign ground fatigued and in disbelief. Twenty students including myself had embarked on a week-long voyage to Paris to immerse ourselves...
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Maine High Adventure Trip
My trip to Maine was a great trip for me and the rest of the crew. You see, I went on this trip with a bunch of Boy Scouts. The trip I went on was one of the high adventure trips the Boy Scouts occasionally...
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My Costa Rica Experience
Hiking in Vibrams and a bathing suit felt equivalent to hiking barefoot in a girdle. Vibrams are a pair of 5-fingered shoes designed with 5 individual slots to eat of your toes. The other...
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El Palacio Real
A few months ago, during my spring break in March, I was presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was offered a chance to visit the capital of Spain, Madrid. Sadly, I won’t be able...
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The Glass Bottles
“An di! An di! (Eat more!)” My aunt weaves through the small kitchen carrying bowls of hu tieu: vercimilli noodles in a warm, savory broth. It is raucous and rowdy...
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Assisting the Needy Ones
This June, I traveled with my youth group from Calvary Baptist Church on June 23, 2012, to Baltimore, Maryland, to share God’s love by being a presence in the downtown area and assisting where...
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The Best of Times and the Worst of Times
Last summer, my grandparents took my two siblings, my older cousin and I on to Europe, starting with the quintessential visit to London, and ending with a week-long tour of Ireland. My grandparents...
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Ruined.
It was my very first time. I had never been out of the country before this, and I had no idea what to expect. I had seen TV commercials of slums in third world countries, but...
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Rendezvous With The Rapids
The mist carried by the brisk wind stung my cheeks to a bright pink just as Shadrach’s, our seasoned river guide. On the banks, green in various stages of battle struggled out from under the oppressive...
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The Treasures of Texas
What began as a visit to seldom-seen family in Austin quickly transformed into the most inspiring experience of my life. In Southern California, we don’t have this so called “nature”—not...
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The Full Jamaican Experience. “Ya mon!”
Fear can hinder you from enduring a once in a lifetime experience, such as what I almost missed out on during my trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. During our trip, my family and I decided to go on a...
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More than beach bums!
Growing up my parents made sure they kept me safe and out of trouble whether that meant putting seemingly unnecessary restrictions on more or not. So when I discovered I would be allowed to...
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Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
Last month, my family embarked on a trip to Bangladesh. My parents were more than excited to go. I, on the other hand, was not so happy. My somber attitude stemmed from my last visit to Bangladesh....
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