Grandmother and Granddaughter Bond over Roman Infrastructure (Literally!)
"50 YEARS OF ADVENTURES" advertised the world map in my grandparents' family room. It was covered with colorful pins stuck in exotic places that some may never have even heard of. My grandparents were...
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A Leap Into the Past
The bitter wind cut into the sizable group of Floridians that huddled in the city center platz of the medieval city of Rothenburg, Germany. Snowballs soared through the air like cannonballs and smoke escaped...
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A Natural Revelation
A short year ago, a city of great feats stood before me as my feet lifted from the grey steps of the airplane’s rickety ladder, and landed on the concrete below me. This tentative step marked the first...
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From Ten to Twenty – Lessons learned Ecuador
As our large bus wheeled up the narrow path along Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador, I was distracted from the likelihood of death by the breathtaking view. Flowers I’ve never seen before, livestock, and people...
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Discovering the Natural World in Norway
My sister Hanna and I sprinted down the dirt path, with our parents lagging behind. Ahead of us was one of the many stunning mountains that line Norway’s fjords. Waterfalls spewed from its cliffs. At...
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Bear-ly Up the Mountain
The trail, meandering below the canopy as hardly a trickle of dust, seemed nondescript. We stood at the edge of its start, our backpacks hanging from our sweaty backs as mosquitos buzzed our ears. “Ten...
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A Volunteer Trip I’ll Never Forget
Over the last six years, I have amassed over a thousand community service hours, volunteering at a variety of different events and organizations. I’ve worked at trash pick-ups, tutoring clubs, golf tournaments,...
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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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Long Nights and Loggerheads
Allow me to set the scene for you. You’re riding in the back of a small vehicle, a cross between a four-wheeler and a pickup truck. Buckets and toolkits rattle beside you. The empty beach stretches in...
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Frugal New York City Vacation
Cheap, thrifty, economical and prudent are all accurate descriptions of my mom's spending habits. However, she prefers the word frugal. She clips coupons and shops the “manager’s special” section...
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My Guatemala
As soon as I heard that Eli’s family had an opening for their trip to Guatemala, I knew I had to go. They were taking teenagers to Antigua to learn Spanish and volunteer. It took some convincing, but...
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da Vinci Day
As my foot landed on the elaborately tiled floor, a chilling atmosphere pricked my body. The air that embraced me was suffused with the history, the art, the surrealness of the images and work inside....
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The Treasures Concealed by Mesas of Arizona
“We’re here!” my sister shouts, as our van turns onto a dirt road. The faded sign says “Welcome to Immanuel Mission.” As our car bumps along the road, kicking up dirt into the hot Arizona air,...
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Fantasy’s Reality
“Here.” A neatly wrapped, red package fell into my hands. “What’s this?” I inquired. We had just arrived in New Zealand a couple hours before. This vacation was my “early Birthday gift.”...
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California Dreams
The sound of waves crashing paired with memories flashing behind my closed eyelids overwhelm me as I stand in front of the salty shore, and I wonder what actions in my life have led me to this one perfect...
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The Philippines: Living in a Childhood That Was Never Mine
To visit the country that my parents remember so vividly from their childhoods is difficult; living an Americanized life really detached me from identifying with Filipino culture. They grew up knowing...
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Reflections on Omaha Beach
Sand. As far as I could see, sand carpeted the expansive, harmless beach. Yet this wasn’t just any beach, and – seventy-one years before I arrived in 2015 – it was anything but harmless. My World...
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Costa Rica: Baby Sea Turtle Rescue Mission
A shrill call from our alarm interrupted the rainforest cicada’s song and I fumbled in the dark to turn it off. We were assigned the midnight shift. Mary and Kallie slid out of their bunks, so the other...
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Peace in Churning Waters
It hadn’t rained a single day - not in London, Paris, Florence, or Rome - but of course, on our last morning before flying home, on the day we would be spending in the sea, the Italian sky was filled...
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Mortality In Paradise
During the summer of 2014, my family took a trip to Costa Rica. We explored San Jose, then traveled to Tortuguero where we visited the national park and took a canoe tour down the river. Not long into...
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