Through the Mountains of Allure
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the natural world? Solitude? Treachery? Grandiosity? The one word that comes to my mind is beauty....
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From Upscale and Glam to Poor and Rundown
I was raised thinking the world is a great place. I do not disagree with that statement but the world has its dark side. New York is a place I fell in love...
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My Camino
Colombia has beautiful colinas: green clouds that go on forever and make you feel as though you can jump from one to the other in a leap. My abuelo has a farm with hills like these and dirt paths that...
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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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Spine of the Earth: A Hike Through The Great Smokey Mountains
Sweat dripping down my back and feet crunching the dry earth, I pushed past tree boughs drooping in my path as I walked along the ridge of the Great Smokey Mountains on what has been referred to as...
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Percussion Ensemble trip to Austin, TX
The trip to Austin was exciting, funny, loud, emotional, and hot. After working our way to the top in Area, our Percussion Ensemble received the gold medal and the green light to advance to State....
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Pandas and Places You Only See in China!
When my sister was living overseas in Hong Kong, I jumped at the opportunity to visit her and get a glimpse of what my culture was like. As a fifth generation Chinese-American, I...
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A Final, Perfect Memory
“This is the best part!” says Hannah as we watch cheese buyers and sellers haggle. We are at the cheese...
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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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Adventures In Japanese
Just a few weeks ago my friend had nudged me slightly as we walked through the hallways of our school. He was staring at his feet with a solemn expression as his silly dinosaur sunglasses bounced atop...
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Seeing the Ocean: The Trans-Catalina Trail
The Trans-Catalina Trail is a 37.2-mile backpacking endeavor. It wraps around Catalina Island—the island where I was raised. The trailhead spirals above the small town of Avalon, through the hilly...
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Savannah: New Blooms, Old Scars
In Miami, we have a saying: “You have to go north to go south.”I whisk around notions of bayous, plantations, country lilts and comely manners as I take my first hungry glimpses of this mysterious...
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Living in an El Greco Painting
My name is Mackenzie and in the summer of 2013, I was lucky enough to travel to Spain, England, and France...
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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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A Love Affair With The City Of Love
Each and every year, my family sets off on a trip to Paris, France: the City of Love. It is my absolute favorite place in the worl,d and I love it...
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The Power of Seven Days
When I was 17 years old, I almost died while on a plane returning home from Central America.We were flying directly over the Bermuda Triangle (of course, right?) when the plane started experiencing...
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An Epic Vacation to Egypt During Unrest and Crisis
On August 13th, 2013, we exited Egypt just in time to narrowly skirt the beginning of a week of violence in the streets of...
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My Journey With How
How? A word used to unlock a treasure chest of the unknown during my days as a child, a simple syllable that revealed everything I wished to discover. “How does this work?”
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The Untouched Magic of Kaua’i: The Garden Island
When you wake up to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, it's nearly impossible to "wake up on the wrong side of the bed". That is reality on the little island of Kaua'i,...
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Running Saved my Life!
Numerous bullets ring through the air like deadly fireworks across the dark sky. Two figures scramble behind cars as chaos once again fills the streets. While my mother and her friend were caught in the...
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Forest, Farm, and Southern Charm: Why Hayden, Alabama Is the Best Southern Travel Destination You’ve Never Heard Of
Never heard of Hayden, Alabama? No surprises there. According to the 2010 U.S. census, Hayden had a population of 444 and no stoplights. Some of its attractions include two lovely...
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Rural Japan – A Vacation for Those in Need of More
Owase is a serene fishing town nestled comfortably in southern Mie prefecture on Japan’s eastern coast, surrounded by towering mountains and twisting rivers. Although Owase is the rainiest place in all...
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Small-Town Delight in a Big-City World: Discovering Baldwinsville, NY
You probably wouldn’t think of Baldwinsville, New York as a conventional trip destination. Most people have never even heard of it! It’s true that we don’t have palm trees, white sandy beaches, or...
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Wild Wonders of the Himalayas
As you step out of the train, you quickly notice the crisper, cooler air of the Indian town of Kathgodam compared to that of populated cities like Delhi. The Himalayan Mountains stand tall in the backdrop,...
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Second to None: Why Chicago is America’s Heart
Gritty, blue-collar town, City of Broad Shoulders. Hm. Strolling along the breezy blue lakefront, among the joggers, jugglers, bikers, chess players, volleyballers,...
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We’re Still in Kansas, Toto
“Where are you from?” “Kansas City.” “Oh...so you live on a farm, right?” I cannot even count the number of times I have received this response after informing someone of my place...
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What a Desert Oasis Really Looks Like
Tucson, Arizona offers a unique experience for any traveler. It is modern and historic, Mexican, Native American, and American, natural and man-made. It is as wild as its desert and as calm as its endless...
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A Panorama of Life: Poughkeepsie, NY
The breeze sifts through my hair like a million playful butterflies; the sky is a singular swath of blue above my head; 160 feet below is the splendor of the Hudson River. I am walking on the longest pedestrian...
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Grab a Bike and Explore Wassenaar, NL
Welkom bij Wassenaar! Welcome to Wassenaar! Wassenaar is a quaint Dutch town which lies between The Hague and Leiden, two major cities along the Netherlands North Sea Coast. Wassenaar is more...
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Star of Bavaria: Rosenheim
Southern Germany’s patchwork landscape, dotted with orderly squares of emerald and mustard, plays peek-a-boo with me through the clouds. Below, the familiar Bavarian charm of Rosenheim acts magnetic,...
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Good Things Come in Small Packages
When you come from a small, rural town (technically a village) it is rather tempting to imagine yourself living anywhere else. I often imagine myself walking the crowded streets of New York City, surfing...
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Cows, Colleges, and Contentment
Telling people I’m from Northfield, MN usually elicits one of three responses. They haven’t heard of it, they know it as “that college town”, or, my personal favorite, a chuckle, followed by...
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The Normal and Extraordinary Places of Bangladesh
Crowded streets. Cars honking. Burning sun. Tall buildings block much of the sky. Dhaka City, Bangladesh. This may be a typical city. But furthermore, Bangladesh is known as a developing country to much...
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Vancouver. (No, not BC.) Washington. (No, not DC.)
Most likely all you know of Washington is that it is home to vampires and werewolves, that is somewhere up north next to Canada, that is caught up in a never-ending torrential downpour. There is something...
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The City of Sawdust “Claws” its Way into Top Tourist Destination
A group of teenagers, with their hipster hats touching their eyebrows, and TOMS shoes treading lightly across the path, open the door to New Moon Café. Once inside, they are barraged by the sound of acoustic...
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Colors in the Air
The sharp smack of a slippery body being slammed down. Fishmongers yelling out orders in unison like a pirate crew out on sea. Standing up on your tip toes trying to get a better look at the spectacle,...
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Life Under the Big Sky – Bozeman, Montana
Being a girl from Montana, it’s not uncommon for me to be asked by tourists if I ride a horse to school or if I own a billion pairs of cowboy boots. However, my all-time favorite question is "So do you...
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Sunshine. Simplicity. Ssenga.
Early morning rays shine on mud-brick houses and the dirt road which weaves between them. Tin roofs glitter beneath pink and orange clouds, and green gardens are covered with droplets of dew. Everything...
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The Hidden Gems of Canton
So -- you want to come to Canton, Ohio? My hometown. Umm, you could…
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The Chocolate Covered Pretzel I Call Home
It’s almost like a chocolate covered pretzel. The salty ocean air combined with the sweet smell of breathtaking flora; that’s the first sign you’re approaching Laguna Beach, California. The next...
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Hipsters and Wanderers
As a bibliophile and foodie, my excursions into my city tend to include the best bookstore in the world and one of many interesting eateries. The nice thing about where I live is that I am never more than...
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Orange City: Iowa’s Most Unique Cultural Jewel
What comes to mind when you hear the word “Iowa”? Let me guess: endless fields of corn, too many cows to count, and possibly no running water. On the contrary, my friends! Iowa...
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Shades of Gray: Mixing Light and Dark in St. Petersburg, Russia
For some, it's a place; for others, an idea. Whether tangible or not, everyone has a home, and everyone can speak proudly of its attractions and appeal to visitors. I have two. There is the home I was...
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