
A Friend 2,790 Miles Away
My eyes pop open as the cooing of roosters awakens my slumber. I roll over on my paper-thin mattress, careful not to hit my head on the bunk above me. Stepping onto the filthy cement floor, I look around...
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New York: a SENSE-ational Place to Be!
Behind the bustling streets of the “Big Apple”, New York holds within its borders a place like no other: A tranquil escape from rush hour and the daily lives of hard-workers. The Adirondacks will...
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Vietnam: A Study In Privilege and a Doorknob
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Tunes and Travels: My Trip to An Irish Jam Session
I had not imagined in my eight years of classical violin training that I would end up fiddling in a pub. I wasn’t used to Maryland’s long lines of traffic and crowded streets. In Ohio, Rural King...
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Relaxing to Roller Coasters: The Perfect Day in Sylvan Beach
After a stressful school year filled with crammed study sessions and all-nighters, only one place can take my mind off it all – Sylvan Beach, New York. Decades ago, my great-great grandparents discovered...
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Exploring the Beaches of Trinidad
The alarm clock buzzes at six in the morning and I immediately shoot out of bed. Despite the early start, I contentedly wake up and start packing as I review my checklist—towel, fresh ripened...
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Wheels and Wildflowers: A Bike Tour Through Cade’s Cove
Grandpa tossed two helmets under the passenger seat and revved the engine. “I’m not wearing one.” He shoved his hand into the Skittles bag. “Me neither,” I tested. His glacier gaze cracked;...
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I Come From Elsewhere, But I Come From Here
The sun is blazing, and the humidity is turned up a thousand notches. However, my Western sensibilities remain undisturbed, as my mind is a preoccupied whirlwind of endless...
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Keep Dreaming
The real magic happens when I close my eyes. I usually squeeze them really tight when I want to get a good feel of the ocean breeze in my face. As the sun settles in for the night, the sand beneath...
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Meeting My Grandfather
My parents came to the United States in 1990, six years before I was born. Three years after they moved, my grandfather passed away. Although he died before my birth, he was extremely proud that my...
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