Wild Travels in the Wild West
Many summer vacations include relaxing on the beach or lounging in a hammock under a blue sky with warm sun. However, my summer vacation was much less relaxing but surprisingly every bit as enjoyable. My...
Read More 2 min read
Beauty Amongst Poverty
The first thing I distinctly remember was the stifling temperature and humidity. Although it was summer back in Pennsylvania, I didn’t have the slightest idea of the meaning of “heat” until I...
Read More 2 min read
Falling For Niagara
I am from central Texas, where we only have two seasons; hot and less hot. Because of this, fall is a beautiful season I never had the chance to appreciate until I visited New England in November, 2016....
Read More 2 min read
Reflections from the Last Frontier
Summer in Alaska was the wilderness that embodies a grand adventure. There were looming mountains covered in dark green forests with strips of white just visible at the peaks, uninhabited islands shrouded...
Read More 2 min read
DESTINATION STAY-CATION
To paraphrase Proust, ‘discovery is not in the place, but in the eyes’. As a rising senior and competitive skater, my free time is limited. Like...
Read More 3 min read
Summer Ice Cream
A few years ago, my family had rented a house in Massachusetts with a pool to spend a week’s vacation. En route to our destination, we had gone to a local ice cream store, SoCo Creamery; the primary...
Read More 2 min read
_10.jpg)
The Blue Morpho of Tortuguero
A slight flutter in the corner of my eye captures my attention. I turn my head to catch a glimpse of the brilliant, shimmery blue morpho butterfly. As a butterfly enthusiast, I drink in...
Read More 3 min read
Capturing the Heart of Athens
The most unexpected moments sometimes turn out to be the ones that influence you the most. This was the force of the mighty Syntagma Square, the prominent historic area in Athens, Greece. It...
Read More 2 min read
Through Dust and Debris: Exploring a Buried City
If you take one look at Instagram posts under the hashtag “#vacation”, chances are you’ll see photos of people surrounded by palm trees, tanning beds, and beachside pool service in some far off...
Read More 2 min read
From Zebras To Love
“It’s a zebra!!!” Not hidden behind barred gates or three inch glass but standing directly in front of me. I leaned in close, throwing all caution to the wind with this seemingly-harmless...
Read More 2 min read
En el Corazón de la Furia Roja
The time is approximately 7:00 AM as I bid farewell to my grandmother inside of the...
Read More 2 min read
Dirt Roads and Land Cruisers: Why I Love Africa
The warm night air envelopes my face as I stretch my legs after an 8-hour flight. My mom, brothers, and I wait outside as my dad goes off in search of our driver, Stefan. I smile to myself. The familiar...
Read More 2 min read
A Volcano and a Hitchhiker Open My Eyes
We had been on Big Island for a week, enjoying the vibrant blue water and colorful Hawaiian reefs, when our family decided we wanted something more adventurous. Naturally, we decided to visit a volcano...
Read More 3 min read
.jpg)
Graceful Song for Beyond the Grave
A full expanse of mountainous Korean land stretched out before us with little hill-like graves embodying the terraced plot of land. Pine trees swayed in the wind as the setting sun’s rays warmed their...
Read More 3 min read
Dust Motes
The dust motes. They floated with the ambience of rolling hills. A suspended colloid, only visible with a shaft of early morning sunlight piercing through the window of the electric bus, making those...
Read More 2 min read
There Are Rats All Over the World
Venice, Italy is like no other place in all the world. Venetian beauty cascades from atop the clanging San Marco bell tower all the way down into its teaming maze of canals. Walking the narrow,...
Read More 2 min read
The True Meaning that Lies Beyond the Ocean
“The ocean is everything I want to be. Beautiful, mysterious, wild, and free.” The first time I laid my eyes on the ocean, I instantly fell in love. Ever since I was a young child I...
Read More 2 min read
A Glimpse Into My Future
"What colleges are you applying to?" "Do you know what you want to major in?" "Are you going to get a dorm or live at home?" Every high school senior has heard these questions...
Read More 3 min read
The Unexpected Joys In Bread, Cobblestones, and Graffiti
During every vacation that my family takes together, I insist that we must visit various historical sites. When we travelled to France, I fought for a detour to Normandy. When in London, I dragged them...
Read More 2 min read
First of Many Best Friend Adventures
The last wedding on my mom’s side of the family was finalized, and my family’s attendance was most certainly required. This was the perfect trip for my best...
Read More 3 min read
“I Think We Might Die” – Tempting Fate at ‘The Bowl’
It was 5:30 am and my mom was egregiously speeding through Arches National Park in Utah. The speed limit was 25 around long, looping curves and roads that wound between towering spires of red sandstone,...
Read More 2 min read
Bewitched in Barcelona
There is no such thing as being over-prepared! I think to myself as I scour “Best Things to Do in Barcelona” lists, read restaurant reviews, and print tickets. My family is going to Barcelona...
Read More 2 min read
The Concept of a Home
All around the world, people define the word “home” differently. No matter the language it is pronounced in, every person has their own deeper, more individualistic perspective on the concept of...
Read More 2 min read
New York’s Unexpected Beauties
The city was breathtaking, an enchanting and magnetic place I will never forget. The hustle and bustle of New Yorkers trying to get to where they need to be, tourists snapping pictures at every location,...
Read More 2 min read
Day Trip to an Underwater Paradise – Kapalua Bay, Maui
The first time I went snorkeling, I received a mouthful of salty seawater and had only spent minutes in the wind-swept water before scampering back to...
Read More 3 min read
The Birth of the Lakeside Varsity Canoe Team
It was a misty June day when a hearty outdoorsman, a math teacher, and an eclectic mix of ten disheveled teenagers arrived at one of the best kept secrets of the Pacific Northwest. Only one of them...
Read More 2 min read
How I Traveled the World (and Time) in One Day
As I walk through this tunnel of bamboo and listen to the wind whistling...
Read More 2 min read
Amber Eyes
Swish. Swish. The sound of a lion’s tail moves through the African bushes. I’m in Kenya at one of Kenya’s national nature reserves. Kenya is famous in East Africa for their reserves and safaris....
Read More 2 min read
An Ocean Away
Craning my neck and shielding my eyes from the sun, I admired the massive, intimidating, and beautiful structure that towered in front of me. As I waited I listened to the medley of voices around me,...
Read More 2 min read
My Trip Alaska
Alaska is amazing. Millions of people vacation there every summer, and I was one of the lucky ones. In July 2016, I traveled there from my home in Everett, Wash.,...
Read More 2 min read
History Below The Streets
I’m eighty meters underground. To some, that number conjures images of a claustrophobic space far beneath the earth, perhaps an abandoned mine shaft or a well that was sealed off long ago. Both are...
Read More 2 min read
The Philippines
On television, I would always see the perfect American family, a happily married couple with a few children. You don’t usually think of just a mother and daughter but that’s what my family was. I...
Read More 2 min read
A Misrepresented City and a Thousand Discoveries
Cambodia, Armenia, Bosnia, Sudan, Germany, and Rwanda. Each of these nations has one common thread,...
Read More 2 min read
El Casado
“¿Puedo tener el casado?” The waitress from Tierra Mia smiled at me. “I speak English, honey. You’d like la comida típica?” I nodded my head up and down, careful not to further...
Read More 2 min read
Journey of the Heart: My Time in Togo
Every summer, I go on a mission trip through Seacoast Church. It has been my personal tradition since my freshman year of high school that has taken me to Costa Rica, Thailand, and many destinations...
Read More 3 min read
A Window Into Her Past
Ever since I made my first venture outside of my home country, the United States, when I was 11, I have had a passionate desire to travel abroad. After Nicaragua, I was continually...
Read More 3 min read
Siblings of the Sea: Ethereal Encounter on the Island of Lanai
I heard them first. The soloist belting out high pitched whistles, each one a burst...
Read More 2 min read
A Drive Down Memory Lane
I looked to my mother and saw a tear roll down her worn face as she said “We’re here love, this is where my father fished and...
Read More 2 min read
An Underwater World of Wonder: A Glimpse Into My Future
Softly…softly… Whisper in my ears Swell towards the land Spray on me your tears Let me hold you in my hand Softly…softly… Quickly, quickly! Rush towards the shore High tide is coming Breaking...
Read More 2 min read
Paris Lies Hidden Behind Florist Petals and Train Station Clocks
I arrived in Paris by train. Greeted by graffiti bricks and a sun strong enough to dry out my damp soul. I had spent the past week in cloudy London surrounded by grand cathedrals and gardens fit for...
Read More 2 min read
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
I briefly allow my mind to wander....
Read More 2 min read
On Becoming an Active Spectator
It’s six in the morning. Today is my last Sunday in Huejuquilla, Jalisco—my birth town—before my family must head home to the United States after having spent the entire month of December here,...
Read More 3 min read
Short Breaks And New England Weekend Getaways From Boston
The dense population of families in and around Boston, Massachusetts draws on beautiful New England for weekend getaway ideas. Whether your family is looking for a rural holiday, a cheap vacation...
Read More 3 min read
L.L. Bean Guarantees A Bargain Weekend In Freeport Maine
Fun for all ages, great learning activities, eco-adventures and quality merchandise share the shelves of L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine....
Read More 4 min read
The Whispering Path
As I walk down the trail, I am in awe of the beauty around me. Tall oak and maple trees tower above me with sunlight streaming through the leaves touching the floor of the forest...
Read More 2 min read
Trivandrum Tirade
I dodge a white projectile headed for my shoulder. Darn birds-they always try and ruin whatever you’re wearing. I slip on my chappals and sprint to the car bobbing and weaving as I must in order to...
Read More 2 min read
Sonqoykipi Apakuway (Take Me in Your Heart)
We are all broken people living in a world that is filled with hopelessness, sorrow and hate. At times we ask ourselves if there is still humanity and love in this planet that we call home. However, there...
Read More 3 min read
.JPG)
The Sacred Triangle of Temples
When I found out that I would be visiting Greece for a family reunion last summer, I was beyond thrilled. As a child, I would often find myself buried in a Greek mythology book, so visiting the real...
Read More 2 min read
.jpg)
