Snorkeling at Molokini Crater
The sun shimmered through the crystal waters of Molokini Crater. I floated on my back in peaceful bliss. My dad, brother...
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58,080 Feet
I stepped onto the cross-county team’s coach bus, and pangs of nervousness tumbled around in my belly. Our bus, equipped with fuzzy-screened DVD players, chugged up...
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Bear With Me: A Brief Blog about a Brief Adventure
Living in arguably one of the most popular cities in Southern California, one might think that Palm Springs natives would jump at every single opportunity to soak up the sun during the summer.
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The Adventure Begins Here
When people think of Mexico violence and poverty may come to mind. When I think of Mexico adventure and culture pop into my head. My recent trip there, I went with a friend of mine....
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Same World, Different Eyes
It had been approximately 7 years since the last time I'd been there. I'd been just seven years old and it had been about mid-July, right before or after my birthday. Now it was October....
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Family Roots in Missouri
An obscure sky hung clouds in the distance out the windshield of our car…a good Midwestern thunderstorm. The lightning flickered and rain came in a downpour like the dumping of old feed buckets....
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Hanging by a Thread
They say it gets easier after the first step. That the hardest part is leaning back, putting all of your trust in and weight on the cord...
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Desert Dreams: A Tale of Santa Fe Magic
When my parents first revealed to me that our family would be spending most of our winter vacation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I was admittedly less than pleased. A great deal of pre-conceived...
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Road Trip on the North Shore
Nearly every year that my family has lived in Minnesota, we have visited the North Shore of Lake Superior. Each time we drive...
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White Water Rafting Gone Wrong
This past summer my extended family and I took a trip to the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area. It was expected to be...
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La Vita e Bella
Travelling with your family is not always easy especially when you consist of two adults and three grown teenagers who barely squeeze into the back seat of a car. Being the youngest, I always got...
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Hello Serengeti, I’m Here At Last: Learning to Look Beyond Life in Kenya
As a child, I entertained a foolish fantasy of visiting Africa. I believed it to be, most importantly, the land where my favorite silver screen character,...
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Seoulful
The summer after my freshman year, I traveled to Seoul, South Korea, home to many, but not to me, not anymore. Seventeen years ago I had been adopted from Seoul, and brought to America, into the...
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A mother’s wish
“ Hazme un favor y vaya al Alto de Tabor.” I foolishly accepted the task before even knowing what I was getting into. However, it was my mother’s wish, and whatever...
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The Road to Oceanside…and Contention
While planning our family's summer trip, my mom and I decided that it would be fun to do something new and exciting. Instead of doing our standard "fly to San Diego and drive to Oceanside...
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How to be a Teenage Fashionista in Paris
The theme of my trip to Paris was simple: convince all the natives that I belong. Seeing as the trip was for my 16th birthday, and my insufferably touristy mother was accompanying me,...
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The Road to Change
Spring break of 2012, my life was changed. Instead of going on a vacation to a swanky resort I spent my time in the Dominican Republic with Global Leadership Adventures doing volunteer work. Our group...
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Helping Hands in New Orleans
During the summer of 2009, just before...
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A Window Into Paradise
I signed up for the Rustic Pathways Amazon Explorer trip, expecting to have a good time, but I never expected I would fall in love. Fall in love I did - with the trees and the sky,...
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El tiempo que fui a Espana (The time I went to Spain)
Last summer, my school put together a group that was going to go to Spain. We went through a larger, organized tour group called EF Tours. There were at least five other schools from around the US...
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Galveston Island
The sun's rays reflected off the water's surface giving the ocean a bright shimmer of gold. I peered out the car window at the blur of sea as we drove passed it. Gliding boats of all shapes...
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Enjoy the Journey
Millions upon millions of sightseers and thrill seekers flock to Arizona to view the Grand Canyon every year; but for my family and me, the journey is what counted. A few years ago, we planned a...
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Snorkels With Sharks
It was midnight, but it was far from dark. I rested my head against the glass and tried to sleep. No. I was too excited. I stared out of the tiny window and the quiet wonder of city lights took hold...
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Vacation of Security
Ten hours, four sets of security, three new stamps in my passport, two take-offs, two movies, and two landings, the bi-annual family vacation to Lyd had begun. For most people the most eye opening...
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Solitude
A chill wind, a towering band of mountains, a light snowfall, the distinct scent of lush green pines, maybe a curious bear in the tree line if you’re lucky. These are among the first things that...
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Exploring a New Paradise
From a small aircraft, the beauty of the Abacos was nothing less than breathtaking. Nearly 12,000 feet above the earth’s surface, one could see white sand basking in the ever-present...
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Howling Monkeys, Sleepy Slothes, Jumping Toads, Oh My!
Howling monkeys, lush green leaves hanging down from towering trees, waterfalls splashing cold crisp water, brilliant blood red and orange sunsets like out of the movies, bananas hanging...
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My Trip with Fear
, 2012 when I went on my first escapade to a land filled with intricate, intimidating machines. Its loud swirling noise traumatized even the screeching sounds of butterflies fluttering in the inner...
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The 1%
Upon hearing the words “Grand Canyon”, 99% of the world’s population pictures an endless wasteland carved by the Colorado River. The lingering 1% sees him or herself looking up...
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Locked Up
The last place I imagined being that morning was locked away from civilization, screaming for help, fighting to escape, knowing that every breath I took may very well be my last. Well at least that is...
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The Best Birthday Ever in the Dominican Republic!
What a trip! What a Journey! The Dominican Republic is certainly an interesting place to go on vacation. One of my best friends since third grade invited me on yet another one of her amazing summer...
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New York City Looks Good To The Blind
Sightseeing in New York City is surprisingly compatible with traveling with the vision impaired. Sidewalks often have raised bumps, tactile cues that you are reaching the end at the curb. And though midtown...
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my trip to poland
When my girlfriend and I went to visit her family in Poland, we traveled to many different places but the one in particular I enjoyed the most was Sopot. Instead of driving there by car, we got bus...
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My Newfound Sentiment
Israel is a blossoming new country in the Middle East, but ancient tensions plague the area. These tensions often spill over into modern news. The fighting paired with footage of old buildings made...
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Omaha Beach Experience
Our bus pulled into a quiet parking lot. It was overcast and the beach ahead of us wasn't like the ones back in California. It was quiet, with very few people scattered along the shore. They...
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A Lesson in Leadership
Gunfire rains down on you from every direction. A sheer cliff looms in front of you, mocking your seemingly futile efforts to climb it. Pre-dawn ocean waves crash against your boots. Your comrades...
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España, Un Mundo Nuevo
The streets were luminescent with life. Smells of croquetas met yearning nostrils. The fast paced, piquant Spanish dialect was ambient. The air was warm but not humid, and it folded around me, welcoming...
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Chipped Reeds
I sat as first chair in the Honors Band, ready to play an unbelievably difficult saxophone solo. Well, that’s what I visualized in my head at least, but things didn’t turn out exactly...
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Choosing to Live Without
The cold winter wind whipped flakes of snow and ice into my eyes, obscuring my vision and preventing me from seeing the trail ahead. Fortunately for me, the dog team pulling my sled knew just where...
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Smile
Who ever knew a line drawn in the sand could really separate night and day? The border between the United States and Mexico does just that. I went to Mexico on a missions trip through an organization...
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A Life Changed by the Uruguayan Culture
Through an erupting volcano, a multitude of odd night stays, and airplane delays, the time before our arrival had been a journey in itself. Although, looking back it made my trip to Uruguay even...
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Island Enlightenment
In February, I went on a three day cruise to the Bahamas for my friend Stephanie’s 16th birthday. As soon as we got on the Carnival Imagination, we went up to the pool deck to check out...
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Experiencing the Real Italy
This past June, my parents decided to take my brother and I on a two week vacation to explore the medieval towns in Germany and the ancient streets of Italy. On day nine of our exploration, we took...
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Poverty in Belize
“I have nothing besides this house,” Marie was telling us. She was right. Her use of house as a description for the shack in front of us was pushing the definition...
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My Day in Mykonos, Greece (And How I Didn’t Die in a Riot).
My two best friends and I decided to go on a month-long tour of Europe, ending with a cruise through the Greek Islands. My father was apprehensive about sending me on the trip, but more importantly,...
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Searching for Penguins
It was June, the dead of winter, but I wasn’t about to miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just because it was the off season. As an AFS...
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