Yellow Mountain: From a Picture to Real Life
The first time I heard about Yellow Mountain (“Huangshan”) was when my dad showed me an old black-and-white photo in which he, a then-7-year-old boy, stood in front of a gray mountain and grinned widely....
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Dying to Go Home
It was July 11, 2018 when I stepped into the small hair salon with my new friends and tour guide. As I relaxed into the black leather chair and stared at myself in the mirror,...
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A Special Night in the Dominican Republic
The pink and orange hues melted together into the sky overlooking the verdant hills as the sun finally descended to end its glorious day. On the other side of the barbed wire, cows settled into the vastness...
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“Fourth” World Travels; Bringing Hope to Haiti
As I stepped off the plane, I could immediately feel the dryness in the air. Haiti had not experienced a decent rain in seven months before our travel there in April 2019. The airport was tiny, but we...
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Get Lost
As a high school sophomore, I was confident I could take over the world. My goal was always to achieve fluency in Spanish, and traveling to a Spanish-speaking country would be the ultimate way to test...
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Humbling History Lesson-A Visit to Anne Frank’s House
Last summer I had the privilege of travelling to Germany and the Netherlands with my family to visit relatives for a few weeks. We had several fun filled days planned such as visiting the Neuschwanstein...
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Grand Canyon Rim2Rim: A Test of Fortitude
My eyes traced the trail ahead of me until it was reduced to the size of a thread as my dad and I approached the South Rim trailhead. We woke up early, ambitious and ready to embark on our hike. Both of...
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As White as Snow
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Pure white sand, going on for miles and miles. As we drove down the winding road, my family and I admired the mounds of sand. We watched the sun’s rays reflect off the shining...
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Her name was Xochitl
Christmas had arrived. Through the colored picturesque streets of San Miguel de Allende I walked, taking in the smell of warm churros and the fruity scent of ponche. Christmas lights hung above the streets...
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The Discovery of a New Language in Haiti
As the sweat dripped from my forehead I couldn’t help but wonder - was it from the intense heat, or was it from the butterflies currently inhabiting my stomach? I had just landed in Cap Haitian, Haiti,...
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Bitter Teas, Sweet Views
In June, the Tea Club from my school took a week-long trip to Japan. Japan has an incredibly rich culture revolving around the growth, presence, and consumption of tea, so we thought it would be an amazing...
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To Hell and Back
This was the summer of our epic father/son journey out West. My dad and I set out on a six-week adventure full of camping, hiking, mountain biking, rafting and fly fishing. We mountain biked the Deadman’s...
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India: A Tale of Two Worlds
As the plane descended, I peered out my window toward Chennai and witnessed a stark contrast. Surrounding gleaming skyscrapers and glimmering hotels were slums that stretched out from the city center....
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Discovering My Irish Family Heritage
My heart raced as the van slid around yet another tight corner, narrowly missing the oncoming traffic by inches and sending me sliding into my fellow passengers. Was I in a car chase? An action movie?...
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A Sicilian Timetable
By the time my two aunts, grandmother, and I finally boarded our six-hour-late Volotea flight from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Palermo, Sicily, it was way past dinnertime. I had long since stuffed my...
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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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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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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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International Mafia
We sat around a table in the lobby of the “President” hotel, 20 accented voices in chorus arguing about the proper way to play the card game “mafia”. Argentina asserted it was played with two people...
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The Moment I Was Aware of A Cruel World
I tend to confuse myself and others. I am an extreme pessimist, I expect the worst. Yet I have an upbeat attitude, and have the willingness to hope for things. I think global warming will depleat the planet,...
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My Guatemala
As soon as I heard that Eli’s family had an opening for their trip to Guatemala, I knew I had to go. They were taking teenagers to Antigua to learn Spanish and volunteer. It took some convincing, but...
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da Vinci Day
As my foot landed on the elaborately tiled floor, a chilling atmosphere pricked my body. The air that embraced me was suffused with the history, the art, the surrealness of the images and work inside....
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The Treasures Concealed by Mesas of Arizona
“We’re here!” my sister shouts, as our van turns onto a dirt road. The faded sign says “Welcome to Immanuel Mission.” As our car bumps along the road, kicking up dirt into the hot Arizona air,...
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California Dreams
The sound of waves crashing paired with memories flashing behind my closed eyelids overwhelm me as I stand in front of the salty shore, and I wonder what actions in my life have led me to this one perfect...
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The Philippines: Living in a Childhood That Was Never Mine
To visit the country that my parents remember so vividly from their childhoods is difficult; living an Americanized life really detached me from identifying with Filipino culture. They grew up knowing...
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Go Play In The Snow!
The wind tugged playfully at my hair and the cold nipped at my redding cheeks. I pulled my scarf tighter around my neck and ran down the airplane stairs onto the tarmac. I had never felt more invigorated....
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Santiago’s Tears Of Joy
Pilgrims drop to their knees, tears of joy hit the ancient stone, Scottish music plays, church bells ring, and the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela towers above the square. El Camino de Santiago,...
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A Winding Road
As I climbed up the stairs, I underestimated the significance of the next few steps I was taking. I struggled to hoist my luggage up the winding staircase and finally joined the group on the upper level...
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Mississippian Ripples
The sun beats down on my exposed arms and legs as I rest my kayak paddle across my lap. The lake water drips merrily off either end. I gaze around me, grateful for the sun, the water, the air, my family....
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Savor(y) Switzerland
As my friends waved goodbye and left me behind for the third time this trip, a wave of disappointment crashed over me. My altitude sickness and inability to climb beyond base camp ensured yet another lonely...
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A Picture Into the Past
~Memory~ We were at my grandma's house in the little outside corridor connecting the house to the rest of the world. The only thing separating the two spheres was a tall black gate. (Every Lagos house...
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Creature of the Coast
The car had seemed comfortable, roomy even, when we’d first hopped in at the airport. Now, my legs were cramping, the air was stale, and my younger sister crowded me in the back seat. My mother excitedly...
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At Home, Three Thousand Miles Away
We entered the woods giggling and chattering following a stomach-churning bus ride down the steep, narrow, winding Muir Woods Road in Marin County, California. Muir Woods was cool and damp, a light fog...
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Get Lost: How A GPS Error Led Me to the Beauty of Alexandria, VA
Throughout years of travelling, I’ve learned that sometimes the most exciting adventures result from GPS navigation mistakes. My family has never been gifted with technology, so it is natural that when...
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Peace Train
When I was 12 years old, I made an unlikely friend from halfway across the world. It was the middle of July, and my mother and I were about to take an overnight train from Paris to Madrid. I had never...
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An Unexpected Village Dance Party
Whenever I travel, I film videos. I always pack my camera, because filmmaking has become my way of keeping a diary. Its entries each preserve little chapters of my life’s journey. But curiously, our...
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Home Is Where You Park It
I open my eyes and the metallic ceiling over me is reflecting the morning light. I slowly sit up and look out the window above my bed. The deep blue waves of the Pacific crash against the rocky shore....
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The Feast
The morning before she died, it was clear that she felt the brush of death. That’s why she was so restless, struggling against the rope that was tying her hooves to the wooden pole. Tears blurring...
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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...
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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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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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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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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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Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
I briefly allow my mind to wander....
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