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...
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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...
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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...
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En el Corazón de la Furia Roja
The time is approximately 7:00 AM as I bid farewell to my grandmother inside of the...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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“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,...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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How I Traveled the World (and Time) in One Day
As I walk through this tunnel of bamboo and listen to the wind whistling...
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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....
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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,...
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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.,...
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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...
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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...
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A Misrepresented City and a Thousand Discoveries
Cambodia, Armenia, Bosnia, Sudan, Germany, and Rwanda. Each of these nations has one common thread,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
I briefly allow my mind to wander....
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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,...
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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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Answering a Mother’s Call
Dawn’s warm sunbeams peered through cloud cover at intervals, illuminating patches of emerald rice patties throughout the low-lying mountains of Southern India’s ghats; the faintest of breezes glided...
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Eyes Widen and Heart Soars
Picture this: You're walking down a cobblestone street, to the left you can see a small glimpse of the canal that runs through the town and to the right...
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Searching for Sunrises
My eyes are barely open as I unzip the tent fly and stumble outside onto the wet, morning grass. I wonder why I can’t remember hearing the sound of rain the night before, then realize that it must...
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Peruvian Cultural Immerison
Machu Picchu, llamas, and the Spanish language are things that come to mind when thinking of Peru. These ideas are important aspects of Peruvian culture, however, the country is more diverse and cultural...
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In the Steps of History
The first three days went by so quickly, I hardly even remembered to text anyone back home or let my mom know how everything was going. My new Dutch friends were kind enough to answer many of the questions...
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Lost and…
Aruba, home to Dutch chocolate and clear water, was proving hot, brown and spurious as my family of nine bounced across the desert in a rustic van frantically searching the unforgiving landscape for...
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Becoming Friends with the Mayans
After the 45-minute bus ride from the port of Costa Maya, we finally arrived. My dad and I had had a front row seat for the tour guide’s lecture and were ready to discover the ancient civilization...
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Free and Fabulous! Public Art Supports Summer Learning
Ah summer. A time for sun, sand, sea and -- art? Even kids who regard museum visits as a form of punishment can enjoy some of the season’s most inventive art installations without setting foot indoors. Here...
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