The Bahamas
From the bright blue sky above, the sun beat down, casting its rays of warmth across the Bahamian sand. I felt warmed from the inside out, while a light misting from the ocean kept me cool. The soft breeze...
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The Magic of Lost Lake
During the summer of 2018 my wanderlust was still going strong and we were visiting my family in Grand Junction, Colorado. My only goal for our one free day was to see some big pine trees. My mother suggested...
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Lessons From Whales
Everyone anxiously stood still, holding their breath. Excitement exuded from everyone on board as we all waited to see what we journeyed so far for. Then we heard it: the whooshing sound of a whale exhaling....
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Here Lies a World Down Under
Finally, after about a twenty-four hour plane ride from Brooklyn, New York to Cairns, Australia, my father and I made it. We wobbled off the plane with water retention in our legs, brimming with excitement...
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My Quick Forest Getaway
As I rounded the corner I felt my breath escape my lungs with a loud push, my jaw dropping to the ground in awe. What was in front of me was so magnificent in beauty and size I couldn’t quite believe...
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A Lighthouse, Fish, and St. Patricks Day…Oh My!
¡Bienvenidas to La Coruña, Spain! Nestled in the northwest corner of Spain, right above neighboring Portugal sits the autonomous community of Galicia. Located on the edge of the Atlantic lays one...
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Kauai: Just Around the River Bend
As my family and I drive through the lush green roads of Kauai, I can't help but gasp at what surrounds me. The winding roads cut through meadows of tall grasses that are framed by massive mountains. While...
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The Secret of Salinas
A quaint city located in the Andes mountains of Ecuador at about 11,600 feet above sea level, Salinas de Guaranda is small, but from them I have learned that even the smallest things can push the biggest...
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Fraternité in France
Stepping out of the Charles de Gaulle Etoile subway stop and being greeted by the Arc de Triomphe as snow-peppered wind kissed my nose was the most magical moment of my life. Knowing that Napoleon’s...
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Hau’oli in Hawaii
I eagerly stepped onto land I had never been on before, but to my surprise, it felt like home. In July of last summer, our nine day adventure began in the beautiful island of Oahu. Happiness comes in many...
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Visit to Denali National Park
When most people think “vacation,” they think shopping, beaches, lots of sun. When I think vacation, I imagine the wilderness, scenic landscapes and wildlife. Alaska fit my idea of vacation perfectly. A...
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Mosquito Beach
Mosquito Beach, MI is a very deceiving name, for the beach itself is anything but deterring. We began the day by hiking through dense woods, past trickling streams, and over rolling sand dunes. We trudged...
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Blueberries in Belarus
When I look back, my fondest memory is small, round, and blue. One might expect that a different object would surface in my memory, but my mind always circles back to the blueberry, or chernika, in Russian....
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Cancun’s Beautiful Neighbor
The strong wind and obnoxiously blinding sun had me squinting for the entire twenty-minute ride. It was a good thing we were at the top of the double decker tour boat, or I would be squinting purely to...
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The Best Way to Get Lost in the French Riviera
After walking through the gorgeous checkerboard-covered square Place Massena, we reached the bustling main street that hugs the pebbly beaches of the Mediterranean. Our tour guide led us to an unending...
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Underwater: A Different Dimension of Paradise
When the last snorkel bag is jammed into the back of the rental car, my family piles in. Our crew, a group of thirteen, consists of snorkelers ranging in age from 8 to 73. We drive up the coast of West...
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Destination: Great Wall of China
I once was under the impression that seeing something in a picture was the same thing as being in that place. As a result, I never saw the need to travel to discover anything. I was happy at home with...
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A New York State of Mind
What I remember the most was having to pee. The line was long, almost a 2-hour wait, but we finally made it...to another line, which leads to an elevator that went up 80 floors, to another line for another...
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Embracing the Beauty of India
Happiness thrives in the most unexpected places. Traveling to India this past May with fifteen of my classmates, I found that to be true more times than I ever would have thought imaginable. We spent...
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These Mountains Will Change You
I was recently traveling through California with my brother Jonah. We stayed at reserves and parks and a couple friends’ houses. Our trip was to end in the heart of Yosemite, a place neither of us brothers...
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Surprises at High Elevations
2:45 Thursday, 14th Mid Flight Clouds just beginning to touch the edge of the land Reflecting the oceans tide Before the marine layer becomes opaque Before grey skies cloud the countryside 5:45...
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A Journey Home – My Trip to Ireland
In April of 2017, my family and I embarked on a journey to visit my brother who was studying abroad in Ireland. After our plane landed, my brother greeted us between the green walls of the Dublin Airport....
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Philly (Ph)anatic
After traveling across the country from Florida to New York to my home of Shawnee, KS, I can confidently say there is no place more memorable than the city that has broadened my outlook on community and...
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Dingle: The Peninsula of Untold Wonders
Nestled among the craggy coastline of the County Kerry lies a hidden gem, full of truly spectacular features. Luscious, green pasturelands roll away towards the mountains in front, while behind, the aquamarine,...
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Xaymaca: The Land of Wood and Water
In the middle of the Caribbean lies a beautiful island submerged by an alpine mountainous terrain and encompassed by the turquoise crystal clear waters of the Caribbean sea. Its unprecedented beauty and...
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Finding Perspective in Ireland
I have lived in Southern California for my entire life. Although I can’t deny the blessing that is our year-long perfect weather, the crammed freeways, dry summers, and busy lifestyle can make even the...
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The Great Barrier Reef: A Whole Other World
As we stepped on the boat that would take us to the Great Barrier Reef, I was buzzing with excitement. My family and I had just arrived in Queensland, Australia and a new adventure awaited us. The sun...
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A Visit to Norway: Fjords and More!
I had heard from those who had visited Norway that its fjords were one of the most beautiful natural formations on the planet. So when my family and I paid a brief visit to Norway as part of a two-week...
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Europe Without Baggage
Vacation - it is a time when the worries of life are temporarily forgotten as reality is placed “on hold” for a brief period of mental and emotional rejuvenation. From May 27 to June 5 of 2018, I took...
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Home Is Where the Statue Is
This is Vietnam at 6:00 in the morning. I peer out from the tenth story balcony of my hotel, watching her body wake up. Here, somewhere in these winding streets, is a small hospital. This is where my story...
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The Hidden City
In July of 2015, my family and I decided to take a vacation from our hometown of Houston to the jungles of Belize. After only a ninety-minute plane ride from Houston, we arrived in Belize City. From there...
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Spanish Horizons
Just north of Oviedo, there is a quaint town where just off the beaten path of the dusty Spanish streets is a hidden gem worth the trip. I have marveled at the great Sagrada Familia in the diverse city...
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Learning with Elephants
I have always heard that trips enlighten, and yes, that is true. After a trip to Thailand,...
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Beauty Amongst Poverty
The first thing I distinctly remember was the stifling temperature and humidity. Although it was summer back in Pennsylvania, I didn’t have the slightest idea of the meaning of “heat” until I...
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Falling For Niagara
I am from central Texas, where we only have two seasons; hot and less hot. Because of this, fall is a beautiful season I never had the chance to appreciate until I visited New England in November, 2016....
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DESTINATION STAY-CATION
To paraphrase Proust, ‘discovery is not in the place, but in the eyes’. As a rising senior and competitive skater, my free time is limited. Like...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Catskill Mountains: Birthplace of My Dreams
In the 1960s, a book called My Side of the Mountain inspired a young man’s dream to live in the wilderness and train raptors (eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls). As a young man he moved to Roxbury,...
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Walking with Wolves – A Trip to West Yellowstone
It was the middle of July, and it was snowing. To my younger sister and I, this was a miracle in itself; back home in Texas, we got a few inches of snow once or twice a year if we were lucky,...
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A Journey Through Music and Time
It is known as the city that never sleeps, a name that only seems appropriate with its millions of bustling people, thousands of restaurants, hundreds of successful companies, and one Lincoln Center...
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