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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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....
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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....
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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,...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
Learning with Elephants
I have always heard that trips enlighten, and yes, that is true. After a trip to Thailand,...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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....
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
.jpg)
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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,...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 3 min read
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,...
Read More 2 min read
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.,...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
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,...
Read More 2 min read
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,...
Read More 2 min read
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...
Read More 2 min read
Seven UnBelizeable Days
Last summer I went on my first international mission trip with my church and a church group from Alabama to Dangriga, Belize. There I spent seven days in the hot Belizean sun making memories and friends...
Read More 4 min read
My Journey of Discovering the Meaning of “Sí Se Puede”
The world is a marvelous place, home to many cultures, beautiful scenery, and many undiscovered beauties. Since I was a child, I dreamt of traveling this beautiful blue marble, called Earth. I had no...
Read More 3 min read
VSA (Vacation of Scholarly Acceptance)
Merriam-Webster says that a vacation is a period of time spent away from work in order to rest or travel, but my vacation was much more than that. My time spent in Nashville, Tennessee, blended together...
Read More 2 min read
The Pounds I Gained from Paris to Provence
In a word association test pertaining to France, people will likely come up with answers such as Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Tour de France. However, I had the opportunity to visit France with my family...
Read More 2 min read
Home in the World, Roots in China-June 2013
This is the story of when I returned to my Found Site. What I saw made me realize how lucky I am. The roads were made of dirt, the building timeworn, and I stood in front of it – my Found...
Read More 2 min read
Shoot for the Stars
Every family has their ups and downs. Every family is different, every family loves in different ways. Every family is at least slightly crazy, and if this in't true for your family, you haven't spent...
Read More 3 min read
Adventures in Aspen
I'd say that nothing can really change you like travel can. I was sixteen years old, teetering on the edge of elated freedom and terrifying reality. I had never flown without my parents before,...
Read More 2 min read
Why Tourists Shouldn’t Be Tourists
I knew from the beginning that my itinerary would not consist of sunny days spent lounging by the pool, coconut slushy in hand and sunscreen smeared sunglasses perched on my head. Despite my frequent...
Read More 3 min read
The Touch of Magic
As soon as I walked in, I immediately regretted it. Cobwebs were dangling off broken chandeliers and spooky music hummed in the background. Dim lights gave the room an orange glow, and everything looked...
Read More 2 min read
Mockingbird’s Call to Humanity
It was blasted cold, and being the Texas girl I am, I was bundled in layers of thick jackets and mittens. After having waited in a long line outside and then confronted by a picky squad of security, I...
Read More 2 min read
Dragon Army’s Adventure Legacy : What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Our Memories for Ever
Nostalgia. Nostalgia. Nostalgia. I can still recall the crisp, rushing wind as it grazed my face from every angle. As we twisted and turned so rapidly, the darkness of the night was engulfed by the...
Read More 3 min read
Breakthrough
Bzzz! We were constantly swatting away persistent mosquitoes which craved our blood, dehydrated from the sweat pouring off our bodies, and sore from the backpacks that felt like a pack of elephants....
Read More 2 min read
Pompeii Dreams
Young and hopeful, I dreamed of seeing the places from my "Who Was" books and History Channel documentaries. I wrote stories of going to Egypt and discovering King Tut’s tomb for myself. I wished...
Read More 3 min read
One Ola at a Time
Waving goodbye to my chaperones and fellow exchange students, all of the excitement that had built inside me on the 12-hour plane ride to Costa Rica turned to dread as I realized that my classroom...
Read More 2 min read
God Was Having A Good Day When He Made Alaska
Alaska is more a humbling experience than anything else. There’s something beautiful in every direction you look. My dad knew this when he planned our day in Juneau....
Read More 2 min read
The Big Blue
I have visited thousands of places, dozens of countries, lived through marvelous adventures, but nothing will ever compare the amazing experience I had in Polynesia. I was sixteen, I loved swimming...
Read More 3 min read
Monterrey: The City of Mountains and of My Heart
Even though I travel to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico every year in the summer, the city never ceases to amaze me and every time I leave, I feel as though...
Read More 2 min read
Waters of Freedom
Dictators have had a horrible history throughout the world, and although they are not prevalent in the United States, I found my life being controlled, not by a person, but by fear. My fear of doing...
Read More 2 min read
The Little Things Can Change a Lifetime
Winding cobblestone roads, with walls seemingly growing ever closer, until even the smallest Fiat can barely squeeze through. Frigid stream water, rushing down from the heights of the Alps. Old buildings,...
Read More 2 min read
Why I Will Always Belong to India
The rancid odor of pollution and cow dung penetrated my lungs as we emerged from the doors of the Delhi international airport, and the usual a crowd of luggage carriers and taxi cab drivers began their...
Read More 2 min read
_0.JPG)
