Something Bigger
We handed the key to Ms. Lyza, and she was elated with gratitude. Her broad smile is one that will stick with me for my entire life. During April vacation last year, I went on a school service trip to...
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Lady Liberty: Larger than Life
Forty-five kids, two chaperones, one bus; all headed to the world renowned monument known as the Statue of Liberty. This already sounds like a recipe for disaster, considering the usual, troublesome antics...
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Polebridge, Montana, You’re My Huckleberry
When I think of summer, I think of road trips. I think of cramped back seats, novels read in one sitting, and my Dad buying mentos at every gas station. I think of our scratched Proclaimers CD, milkshake...
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Temperature and Elevation: An Inverse Relationship
When I was thirteen, my father bought my family matching t-shirts that said, “My Dad is type-two fun.” This referred to my father’s tendency to take us on stressful, mostly outdoor, adventures that...
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In the footsteps of the fallen.
June 7, 2017 the French coast is quiet. Waves lap the sands in the low tide, seagulls fly through the air, ships, of all sorts sail into the English channel. The beaches are quiet, and undisturbed, save...
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Puerto Rico: A Rich and Vibrant Hub
In 2017, Hurricane Irma and Maria churned and strengthened along their catastrophic paths across the Carribean, showing no mercy as they tore apart communities, homes, and families-- including those in...
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The Most Amazing And Slightly Terrifying Travel Experiance I’ve Yet Encountered
I've been to many places but it's this one that resonates in my mind when asked about the trips I've experienced: Two years ago, six members of my family including myself piled into our 2006 Denali for...
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Turkish Muse
It is mid-June and I am sunburnt from head-to-toe by the scorching desert sun, but as I roam the crowded streets of Istanbul, the Turkish breeze revives me. As the Blue Mosque commences the call to prayer,...
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The Traveler vs The Tourist
“Do you know the difference between a tourist and a traveler?” That was the first question my tour guide, Don Marlon, inquired of our group on the first day (Don means “sir” or “Mr” in Costa...
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Found in Bulgaria
Last year, I decided to diverge from my usual visits to my motherland - Bulgaria. Instead of sitting on the beautiful beaches of the Black Sea, or meandering down the clustered alleyways of Sozopol, I...
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The Gas Station Glance
My watch made another insufferable beep. I counted in my head: three. Three hours of sedentary riding on an itchy seat that had turned travel into a game of scratching and ever-shifting posture. I longed...
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My Second Home: Japan
It didn’t take long to realize the Japanese values-- kindness, gratitude, harmony. The significance of unity and relationships was evident in everything I witnessed. There was a constant undertone of...
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The Magic of Botswana
Botswana, Africa: a place so far away yet now so close to my heart. This country’s name alone conjures up an image of exotic intrigue. From the moment of arrival, the beautiful smiles of people welcomed...
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Art and Travel
As an aspiring artist, one of my favorite things to draw are environments. There's something freeing about being able to create settings from your imagination, or adding an unfamiliar twist to an ordinary...
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Hidden in Plain Sight
The island of Kauai is a home in the sense that, when you visit, you feel the urge to stay. She welcomes you with her gorgeous flowers and calm, and she compels you to simply embrace life. When I met her,...
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The Summit
My ankles ached as we trekked along the dirt path surrounded by towering trees. In front of me my friend’s dad, John, set the pace. I tried to enjoy the miles of untouched nature, but my 25 pound backpack...
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Fight-or-Flight: An Adrenaline Rush in the Jungle
“This will be our most difficult climb yet,” my trip leader stated during our lunch break, comforting the group. I looked up at the overcast sky of the Costa Rican rainforest, unsurprised. At that...
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New York: The Hard Hitter
New York. I had only ever dreamed of such a place. I’d only seen it the movies of a small-town girl with enormous dreams and so she travels to the Big Apple, and so on and so forth. I had never thought...
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Home is Where the Heart is
Ever since I was little, my heart was set on living in California. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know why. All I knew was it was where I wanted to be. You know, in astrology they believe when you’re...
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Okinawa 2.0
Back in 2017, I was finishing up school when my father asked me how I would feel if we moved during my senior year. I was a junior at the time, and had been attending the same high school for the past...
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“My Week at the Stone Forest”
Out of all things in life, I believe that you learn the most from a hands-on experience. Traveling is one of the best ways to open yourself up to new ideas and information. One of my most influential traveling...
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Spain: An Exploration of Bureaucracy
When my family traveled to Barcelona last winter, we planned on acting like regular tourists. That was not the case. On the train to Font Mágica, as my mom walked toward the metro’s exit doors, a man...
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My Trip to the Flattest, Saltiest Place on EarthSawa r
My alarm yanked me out of a deep sleep at 5:00 am. I stretched, flipped on the light, and let my eyes adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings. Surprisingly, my bed was comfortable, and the room was pleasant...
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First Solo Trip to Europe
As a child, my mother and I always dreamed about visiting Europe together, specifically Paris. We dreamed of sitting at a café, sipping coffee, while overlooking the Eiffel Tower. A few months ago, I...
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Butterflies in the Rain
Compared to its year-round average, it rains very little in Amsterdam during August- except, of course, when I’m there. My family and I were riding bikes back from the grocery store (an adventure within...
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How to Suceed in Time Traveling Without Really Trying
When faced with the "Would You Rather" game question of: "Would you rather travel back into the past or into the future?" I pick the past every time. Unfortunately, I really can't time travel (If I could...
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Beyond Moscow: Notes from Small-Town Russia
When Americans think of Russia, it is usually a very limited picture: cold weather, the Kremlin, the Bolshoi ballet. In fact, most of our understanding of Russian culture is based around the capital city...
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Jamaica Journey
The sun's warmth clung to my body as we strolled down the beach. My feet sank into the milky white sand with each step, and the mellow breeze ruffled my already tangled hair. About 200 feet away stood...
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A vacation that introduced a different lens.
To encounter something as life changing as traveling is rare; many people dream of traveling but cannot go to these wondrous places due to their frenetic lives. It only took one trip to an underdeveloped...
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Besseggen: The Hidden Jewel of Norway
Speechless. Looking out at the world at a loss of words of the beauty displayed ahead. Not knowing what lies on the other side of the mountain ranges or what experiences that it may contain. There is nothing...
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Destination Unknown Family Style
Three clues - Three words “S” - “isn’t” in the South Third Disney duckling is the answer Neither Mrs., Ms., or ma’am and do in a hasty manner That was Dad’s riddle. We had to piece...
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Falling Head Over Heels
My legs shake as I try to grip onto the slimy rocks beneath me. Each time I try to plant my foot down into the freezing cold water and onto a rock, my foot slips from the algae and my entire body is plummeted...
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Heaven Underground: Exploring Seoul’s Fast Fashion Scene — In the Subway
In my home city of Atlanta, our subway system, called MARTA, is nothing more than a cheap, quick means of public transportation. With litter in the trains and urine (yes, urine) in the elevators, the MARTA...
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Wonders of Barcelona
Have you ever traveled to a place where your experience visiting showed you a completely new way to see and understand things? Two summers ago, I traveled to Barcelona where I beheld the most beautiful...
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If You Haven’t Been Kicked out of a Faux-Italian Leather Store for Bargaining too Hard, Have You Truly Been to Italy?
As I reflect on my two-week adventure in Europe with my AP European History class, I struggle to pinpoint the most memorable moment. Was it losing one of my trip-mates in the London Tube? Daring my friend...
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If the Shoe Supports
In December of 2018, one of my history teachers recommened me to apply for this program with the University of Nebraska-Omaha where we learn more about political science by going on trips to the State...
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A Shark Surprise
“Country roads, take me home, to the place, I beloonnng, West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home down country roads.” My entire family of five belted out the lyrics to our road tripping anthem....
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The Alligators in New Orleans might pee on you, but NOLA is the bee’s knees
As a 13-year-old, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to travel a lot with my dad. Every year for the past 6 years, we’ve taken “guys’ trips” during my summer vacations from school. It’s a...
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Rainy Day Scrabble
“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day…”. Never did I ever think that my teenage self would be belting out the lyrics to a nursery rhyme. Yet, here I was though, cooped up in the tiny townhome...
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Mud and Sunflowers
If you were to ask me what my life dreams were for every consecutive year of my life, I would tell you they were to travel. Exciting adventures, unknown destinations, and mysterious outcomes beckoned me,...
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Four Easy Steps to Conquering Beijing (or any Other Foreign Travel Destination)
Travelling to foreign places can be daunting, especially when you don’t know much about the destination. By following these four simple steps, you can conquer Beijing, and anywhere else you wish to travel. 1....
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Reaching Meteora: Of Memories, Mountains and Monestaries
March 24, 2019 My breath seized as the soles of my worn, bedraggled sneakers united with the besmirched floor of the loading ramp to the ferry -- tonight’s humble abode. A seventeen hour expedition...
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Boston
Boston, Massachusetts; home to an abundance of rich historical locations, land of mouth-watering markets, and the site of an epiphany I am lucky to call my own. Perhaps I am playing up to the stereotype...
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Mexi”can’t” Come Back!
Visiting a country is something one usually plans for weeks, months, or years, but my family planned it all in five minutes- in reality, we never intended to go to Mexico. The day before that, there had...
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Facing My Fears on a Dominican Dive
I was staying at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe Resort in the Dominican Republic. Since I had learned to scuba dive only three days ago, I was nervous and excited to go on my second dive. “What if...
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Off The (Literal) Beaten Path
In 2017, my Mom planned an epic trip to Utah for us to conquer the Mighty 5! As we made the long flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Salt Lake City, she shared more details of the trip, including a tour inside...
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Horror in Houston: When the South Turns Stormy
I was excited when my father mentioned that his cousin Dominique was getting married in Houston. This was unusual for me, because as a Northerner, I was legally and morally obligated to make fun of the...
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Soaked in Sunny California
It was late January 2019 when my heart thudded in unison with my landing airplane. As we touched down, I craned my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of any view there might be outside the window. Thanks...
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Luna Llena De Tambores
A sensation of belonging, a single note, light shines outward from the center. The stones cast about awaken, The gift of life flowing to the rhythm of the beat. The barriers break, the stones begin to...
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