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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When You Wish Upon A Star
A personal all-time favorite trip of mine would definitely have to be going to Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida this...
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An Eye Opening Exerience
There are many recollections of memorable family vacations and reunions, however there is one vacation that stands out. It was a cruise vacation on the Royal Caribbean ship liberty...
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The Beauty of the Falls
When you imagine beauty do you see a magnificent waterfall streaming water into a river below? I do, and that’s why my recent trip to Niagara Falls was...
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New England Odyssey XIX
With the turn of a key, our sails unfurled. Our vessel - the Kingsmen charter bus – would soon brave the vast expanse of the Eastern...
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5am Morning Call to My “Dream Vacation”
Finally, the day I had worked extremely hard for to board my flight all the way to Hawaii, was here. I had dreamed of waking up on the beach at my own leisure and being pleasantly entertained by fire dancers...
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Philmont Adventure
I am an Eagle Scout who recently went to Philmont, New Mexico. Philmont is a Boy Scout high adventure camp that challenges the scout’s ability to survive in the wilderness. Our...
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A Glance Through El Salvador-Tinted Glasses
This summer I entered a world different than me, where the distractions that I am so conveniently accustomed to did not exist. I have gained a new perspective of the world and a passion for missions...
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An EPIC Adventure (Traveling through “Disneyland for Grownups”)
It was not supposed to be anything other than getting my oldest brother, Andrew, settled into his new job at Epic Systems Corporation in Verona, Wisconsin. At least, that is what I first thought. ...
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The Great and Mighty Sequoia National Park
Sequoia. A breath taking sight to behold no matter what season. A haven for people seeking an escape from their daily stressful routines. The park is blessed with wise old trees towering at unbelievable...
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Disney World or Bust….Or That Was What I Thought!
The large pretzel jar was labeled “Disney World or Bust” and was almost filled to the top with coins. My family had been saving for our family trip for two years and we knew this...
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Meeting Myself
If you haven’t seen Barcelona at twilight, you will never really understand the true meaning of the word “beautiful.” I toured Barcelona on a cold, yet refreshing December day....
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Family Vacation to Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
Spring break, 2012, and my parents, my three younger siblings, and I left North Carolina for a two day stay in a lakeside home at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. The...
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A Valuable Exploration
In my mind, I pictured groomed, pristine streets overflowing with fashion-conscious, fast-walking citizens. I’d been to cities before, I knew what to expect—but the moment...
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The Big, The Beautiful, The Bison and The Broken
Throughout my life I’ve traveled across the United States after my parents set the goal for me to see the 48 continental states before going to college. However no trip has compared to...
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A Superpower I Didn’t Know I Had: Mission Trip to Ensenada, Mexico
Last Spring Break, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with my church youth group. Our team had two goals for our stay in Ensenada, Mexico: to build a house for a family in the area and...
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Cruise Through Radiator Aprings
Schools out for the summer but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop learning. An education doesn’t always present itself in the form of text books, life experience is a valuable...
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The View of Hong Kong from a Double Decker Bus
After a stressful junior year of High School, nothing could describe how happy I felt when the airplane lifted off the ground of Chicago. I had been anticipating this trip for months, waiting to...
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Definition of Culture
The number of ways to acknowledge another human’s presence is infinite. Waves of the hand, nods of the head, or even twitches of the mouth are all methods of salutation; however, the most unique...
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TCU trip.
In the past five years, my family and I have traveled to many different states. I have family spread out all over the world. I love being able to take a vacation and travel to see them. I can honestly...
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The summer adventure of a lifetime: Summer vacation 2007
In the summer of 2007 my family and I took a trip to Europe. Throughout the trip we explored Berlin Germany, Zurich Switzerland, and Barcelona Spain. Although we had a blast, our main mission in...
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Assimilating with Nature
Traveling can be a very relaxing and rejuvenating experience, specifically when traveling to an area that is open in a variety of natural aspects. Every summer my family travels to San Luis Potosi,...
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Summer days in my Second Home
The sun danced in the sky, on this warm summer day in Bavaria, Germany. After days of rain, the spirit of delight hung in the air, as young and old greeted the clear blue sky. This summer, was spent...
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Pourquoi Pas?
This is me, the health freak who won’t even put dressing on her salad, indulging in ice cream and crepes daily. The same girl who won’t touch beef chomps down on blood sausage and organ meat. When...
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Locks of Love
The Louvre: a famous palace-turned-museum most famous for housing the well-known Mona Lisa, or la Jaconde,...
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Where are the spies in Washington D.C.?
As we stepped out of our car and onto the gravel parking lot, I knew we were going on an adventure that was completely new to me and my family. As we waited for the Amtrak train bound for Chicago to arrive,...
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Uniquely Similar
I woke up to a hint of sunlight, feeling strange that I was not in my own bed. Then it came to me: I was in Madrid, Spain, 3,000 miles and an ocean away from the United States. I weaved my way through...
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The Mountain’s Message of Hope
Every time my phone rings I hear the sound of crickets chirping. This ringtone has special meaning to me. When those crickets start to sing their sweet melody, memories of Guatemala come to my mind....
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The Lives That Were Touched In the City of New Orleans
I view traveling as a privilege, not a right. People travel for many different reasons such as: relaxation or luxury. I like to use traveling to learn about different cultures, people, and history....
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An ocean of sounds
As we walked, passing small stores, people’s shadows and Nigerian men selling coach bags on the streets, we realized that Camila had been crying for about twenty minutes. Her chapped lips were...
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My Trip to MCAD
From the time that I was able to hold a pencil in my hand, I have been drawing. Art has been a part of me my entire life, even through there were times when I wasn’t...
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Boston, MA.: A Look into How the Other Coast Lives
In September of my junior year of high school, I took an unofficial visit to Boston University. Aside from the school’s stellar academics and...
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My 17th Birthday in Belgium
In January of this year, 2012, I went to Belgium with my mom to celebrate my 17th birthday. This trip really changed my life. We only went for three short days, but in those three days I experienced...
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New York City Is a Place To Be
New York City is a place to be. Looking at the city of dreams from a distance, I saw a prestigious monument signifying freedom and hope. I heard the man in the subway effortlessly...
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Kenya 2012
As I boarded Emirates Flight 222 from Dallas to Dubai, a million things were rushing through my mind. Worries as big as living in an utterly foreign culture for seventeen days and as small as wondering...
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Where the Past Meets the Present
The ocean is truth. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, and it doesn’t...
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