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Juan Dolio
On an oppressively hot day in mid-July, armed with hundreds of hastily assembled ham sandwiches and bundles of clothes, I climbed on a bus and rode with thirty other students through the dusty switchbacks...
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New York Is Not All About the City
The first thing that pops in a person’s head when they think of New York is automatically related to the city. I grew up on Long Island so the first thing that pops into my head when I think of New...
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Home is Not a Place
The only thing different about her was that her hair was a bit longer than last time and that she had changed her glasses to have tortoiseshell frames. She still wore the same, serene expression, casual...
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Wrong Turn Made Right
During the summer of 2012 I had the opportunity to travel from my suburban town in Minnesota to Chicago with my youth group from church. We...
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Tropical Paradise, Elephant Rides and… Cultural Discovery?
After a mentally and physically exhausting two week mission trip, my team and I were beyond ready to enjoy some well-earned fun in the city of Chaig Mai, Thailand. That morning we...
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The Africa They DON’T Tell You About
Many times when people write about visiting Africa, it tends to be about a missionary trip. The term ‘Africa’ is usually synonymous with poverty, dirt, corruption and illness. Africa is...
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Ecstatic Elijah
“First we’ll have to cross crocodile pond, and then we’ll go up ice mountain,” little Elijah said, as he clasped my hand tightly and started to sprint across the gym. The five year old was one...
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I Think We’re in Kansas
The road north curves and winds through the valleys of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just as the summer breeze cuts through the New Mexico maple and pine trees that line the luscious terrain. ...
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Asante (Thank You)
Journal Entry Day 5: “As I step off the bus into an unknown desolate, I...
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The Trip That Has Forever Changed My Life
Most people look at the world as this picture perfect place where everyone lives a life either the same or better...
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When in Rome, Relax As the Romans Do: What My Italian Adventure Taught Me About Life
‘Twas the night before I was set to leave on my first European vacation, a two week trip to Italy. My bags were packed, my camera charged, and my passport updated. I was sixteen and expecting...
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A Not So Perfect Picture
Whenever I went to a party, my camera would be in my hands, capturing the moments that I longed to never forget. Even as a little girl, I had a training camera. Finally, at the age of fifteen I took...
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Journey to the Emerald Isle
While on my travels to the U.K with the People to People Student Ambassador Program I was most excited about going to Ireland. Not only because of how beautiful everything looks over there (my camera...
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Indian Identity
After we settled into the apartment my grandparents have lived in for years, I was presented with something I had sincerely missed: authentic South-Indian cuisine. Living in the United States and being...
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Across the Pond in Ten Amazing Days
Buongiorno, je m’appelle Jessie. Wait. What I mean to say is, hello, I’m Jessie. I guess you could say I’m having trouble reverting back to speaking...
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A Thought-Provoking Adventure to Kenya
In July of 2012, my family boarded a plane bound for Kenya, full of excitement and a little apprehension. Our safari had been booked through Tim Melesi Safaris,...
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I Shall Return
Going back to the home of my ancestors was now or never. The Philippines, my parents said, was Third World: No paved roads, No streetlights, No running water, Sweat, and Mosquitos....
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The Mission of a Life
The power to change the world. At the young age of 17, I never thought I would have that chance. Now, after a mission trip to Black Mesa, Arizona, I believe anything is possible.Twenty-five people...
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500 Miles
I would walk five hundred miles “Welcome to London.” Over a ten-mile trek through the city, I tripped on cobbled sidewalks and absorbed the sights around me—double-decker buses, towering...
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From Concrete to Campgrounds
New York City is arguably the most incredible city in the world, and I have the good fortune to have lived there for all 15 years of my life. It is buzzing with activity and full of culture. It is so astonishing...
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La Vida Rica
My trip to Costa Rica with Common Ground International was the most amazing experience of my life. First,...
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From Wildlife to City Sites – The Town to Beat All Others
Portland, Oregon seemed like a paradise, coming from the drought-stricken and fire-prone city of San Diego. Teeming with lush forestry and exotic Northwestern animal life, nature was around every corner....
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Baring It All in Iceland
Nothing in the world could have prepared me for the Icelandic locker rooms.
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The Heart of Honduras
Seeing new parts of the world have opened my eyes to the different people that drift through the world virtually unnoticed by the world around them. Visiting...
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Chicklets, Knots, and Seashells
We come to gawk at the scenery with our heads strained back, admiring the sunset setting along what looks to be the end of the ocean. We run our diamond-laced fingers along the intricate wood carvings...
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The City That Never Sleeps
The three hour train to New York left the station when the air was still crisp and new at seven in the morning. My mom, two...
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In My Bottle of Sand
When one thinks of Egypt, widely known icons including the Nile, Sphinx, mummies, or the pyramids usually come to mind. This article, however is about none of these things. This article is about the...
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Through the Lens of Panama
Everything about Panama was breathtaking; from the green-carpeted hills to the impossibly blue sky....
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Heaven in Hawaii
After a seven hour plane ride over the Pacific Ocean, my mom and I were starved. We spoke to a few Hawaiian locals, and concluded that Aloha Mixed Plate was an affordable restaurant to sample...
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My Enchanting Inspiration From Olmsted Point
Back on our vacation along the west coast and in California, one of the most remarkable stops we made was at Yosemite National Park. The colossal granite cliffs and the seemingly endless beautiful red...
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The Dominican Fever
The guide’s hand shot up, his fingers slowly curling into a fist. I grasped the side-rail of our two-seater mud buggy, bracing for Josiah to disengage the gas and hit the squeaky brake pedal. ...
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Adventures Down Under
Travel is about more than just seeing the sights, it's about connecting with the locals and taking on new adventures that will lead you to the great unforeseen...
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I Left My Heart in the Heart of Art
Florence, Italy: birthplace of...
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The Solution For Which You’ve Been Waiting
Ladies and gentleman, I have the solution—the...
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The Beauty in the City
After an awesome six days in New York City, I wanted to share my experiences, high lighting the beauty of the city and some of the adventures I experienced. Here is a recap of what I did, how it made...
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Traversing the Concrete Jungle
Ah, the illustrious metropolis that is New York City: the city on everyone's bucket list and that is known by so many names (City that Never Sleeps, the Big Apple, Gotham). So, why is it that NYC...
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What the Kids Taught Me
I have recently returned from an amazing journey to Peru. This trip was through my high school and was centered on volunteer work and cultural experience. The first week we spent in the city of Chaclacayo...
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Sweet Home Alabama
It all started four years ago. My entire world flipped upside down in the blink of an eye in June of 2010. This was the end of one book and the beginning of another as I trekked...
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A Not So Podunk Town
Texas is full of Podunk towns. On the hundred-mile plus stretches between more bustling cities, little towns dot the rural landscape, many equipped with not more than a questionable three pump gas station...
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The Little Things
Sometimes it takes traveling 600 plus miles away from home to be closer with the ones that you live with there. That is exactly what happened when my family decided to take a weeks vacation...
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“This Time For Africa”
Ever since I can remember, my family, especially my dad, has been obsessed with soccer. So when he told us he bought tickets for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, it was a dream come true. The...
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Trip to Grandfather Mountain
Ever since I was a little kid I have always been curious and fascinated by mountains. Just the mere sizes of mountains, along with their overall beauty, have made me always drawn to them. When I found...
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Sweet Sixteen in the City that Never Sleeps
For one of my friends’ sweet sixteen parties, she did not want something traditional. Her father, the owner of a limo company, let her rent out a limo for the day and she invited around ten friends...
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The Soul of Volunteering
In seventeen years I haven’t been very far from my small hometown in Eastern Pennsylvania. Even now, the farthest I’ve ever been from home is Orlando Florida. However, even trips close to home have...
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Strikesville
Come on down to Strikesville! Formerly known as Strongsville, this suburban city quietly nestled just 20 miles outside of Cleveland, Ohio until it was devastated by a teachers' union strike in the Spring...
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My Hometown
My name is Erin Brown and I live in Ririe, Idaho. Tourists should definitely stop by our small charming town. There are so many things to do and see here. In the winter you can ski at the Kelley Canyon...
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Welcome to the Queen City
Cincinnati, Ohio. Just another city in the Mid-West, right? Wrong. Cincinnati is one of the greatest cities in Ohio. With our stunning river front view, our bustling downtown, and the newly gentrified...
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More than Just a Beach: The Barrier Island Community of Melbourne Beach, Florida
Creeping along the shoreline, moist sand clings to the bottoms of your feet. The full moon is bright across the dark blue ocean, and a salty mist hangs in the air. ...
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I Climbed Mt. Dora
Summer time: a time to relax, soak in the sun, take a dip in the pool, go to the beach, maybe go on a boat ride and where can people get all of this in one place? FLORIDA! Sunny,...
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Welcome to Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio is an absolutely beautiful city that creates an atmosphere unlike any other. The city has so many different sides to it, each of which help you discover cultures...
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A Pleasant Place To Build A Town- Cornwall, NY
The crunch of kaleidoscope-colored leaves under your feet as you hike through the fall foliage of Black Rock forest on your quest to find the reservoir that supplies Cornwall, a petite New York town, with...
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Sun, Sand, and Speed
Palm trees line the horizon as the salty air combines with exhaust fumes and the hum of city life. Whether the birthplace of speed or a bucket list vacation, Daytona Beach is known for its gorgeous...
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McHenry, Illinois: A Small Town With A Big Heart
When one thinks of northern Illinois they think of Chicago but, it is the suburbs of the Windy City that gave Chicago its’ reputation. Nestled midway between Chicago and Milwaukee,...
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All About My Little Home Town, Kenosha Wisconsin
The city of Kenosha has many enjoyable things to see and do all year round. You can go fishing or to the beach in the summer, or go sledding or ice-skating in the winter. ...
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