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Japanese cherry blossom ice cream and enchanted gardens
As a 15-year-old, when I heard that my family was taking a trip to the Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, I was far from keen. But as I stepped into the one-of-a-kind Cloud Forest...
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A Satisfied Hunger
Walking down Roman avenues in the early morning instills an exciting feeling. We catch a bus to take us into the city. We ride the bus through the streets and see what anyone would see going through...
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The Oregon Tale
The story of this vacation started as the plane wheels left the runway, but the journey to Oregon truly began the moment Mt. Hood decorated the plane windows with snow-covered mountaintops. Here...
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Scuba Diving–It’s A Different World Down There
Scuba diving can make you see the world differently. This is what happened to me when I went scuba diving with my dad in the Philippines. The weather was hot and the water...
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Landing in London
After two years of raising money, planning and practice, we had finally made it. The Shawnee Mission West High School marching band landed in London, England, just two days after Christmas...
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Having the Eyes to See
When it came time for my family to make our way to California for a cruise down the Mexican Riviera, I wasn’t...
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Music Without Borders
After a two and a half hour drive from Prague, we finally arrived in Dresden. This was the sixth stop for our orchestra’s tour in Germany and the Czech Republic. The bus drove us to the edge...
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Orlando Area: Theme Parks Plus
Though my parents took my sister and me to Orlando, Florida before I entered elementary school, I barely remember the trip. Hoping to refresh my memory and create memories for my youngest sister,...
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Foreign Yet Familiar
Cramped and weary from our seven hour flight, we stepped onto foreign ground fatigued and in disbelief. Twenty students including myself had embarked on a week-long voyage to Paris to immerse ourselves...
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Maine High Adventure Trip
My trip to Maine was a great trip for me and the rest of the crew. You see, I went on this trip with a bunch of Boy Scouts. The trip I went on was one of the high adventure trips the Boy Scouts occasionally...
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My Costa Rica Experience
Hiking in Vibrams and a bathing suit felt equivalent to hiking barefoot in a girdle. Vibrams are a pair of 5-fingered shoes designed with 5 individual slots to eat of your toes. The other...
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El Palacio Real
A few months ago, during my spring break in March, I was presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was offered a chance to visit the capital of Spain, Madrid. Sadly, I won’t be able...
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The Glass Bottles
“An di! An di! (Eat more!)” My aunt weaves through the small kitchen carrying bowls of hu tieu: vercimilli noodles in a warm, savory broth. It is raucous and rowdy...
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Assisting the Needy Ones
This June, I traveled with my youth group from Calvary Baptist Church on June 23, 2012, to Baltimore, Maryland, to share God’s love by being a presence in the downtown area and assisting where...
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The Best of Times and the Worst of Times
Last summer, my grandparents took my two siblings, my older cousin and I on to Europe, starting with the quintessential visit to London, and ending with a week-long tour of Ireland. My grandparents...
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Ruined.
It was my very first time. I had never been out of the country before this, and I had no idea what to expect. I had seen TV commercials of slums in third world countries, but...
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Rendezvous With The Rapids
The mist carried by the brisk wind stung my cheeks to a bright pink just as Shadrach’s, our seasoned river guide. On the banks, green in various stages of battle struggled out from under the oppressive...
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The Treasures of Texas
What began as a visit to seldom-seen family in Austin quickly transformed into the most inspiring experience of my life. In Southern California, we don’t have this so called “nature”—not...
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The Full Jamaican Experience. “Ya mon!”
Fear can hinder you from enduring a once in a lifetime experience, such as what I almost missed out on during my trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. During our trip, my family and I decided to go on a...
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More than beach bums!
Growing up my parents made sure they kept me safe and out of trouble whether that meant putting seemingly unnecessary restrictions on more or not. So when I discovered I would be allowed to...
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Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
Last month, my family embarked on a trip to Bangladesh. My parents were more than excited to go. I, on the other hand, was not so happy. My somber attitude stemmed from my last visit to Bangladesh....
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When You Wish Upon A Star
A personal all-time favorite trip of mine would definitely have to be going to Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida this...
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An Eye Opening Exerience
There are many recollections of memorable family vacations and reunions, however there is one vacation that stands out. It was a cruise vacation on the Royal Caribbean ship liberty...
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The Beauty of the Falls
When you imagine beauty do you see a magnificent waterfall streaming water into a river below? I do, and that’s why my recent trip to Niagara Falls was...
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New England Odyssey XIX
With the turn of a key, our sails unfurled. Our vessel - the Kingsmen charter bus – would soon brave the vast expanse of the Eastern...
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5am Morning Call to My “Dream Vacation”
Finally, the day I had worked extremely hard for to board my flight all the way to Hawaii, was here. I had dreamed of waking up on the beach at my own leisure and being pleasantly entertained by fire dancers...
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Philmont Adventure
I am an Eagle Scout who recently went to Philmont, New Mexico. Philmont is a Boy Scout high adventure camp that challenges the scout’s ability to survive in the wilderness. Our...
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A Glance Through El Salvador-Tinted Glasses
This summer I entered a world different than me, where the distractions that I am so conveniently accustomed to did not exist. I have gained a new perspective of the world and a passion for missions...
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An EPIC Adventure (Traveling through “Disneyland for Grownups”)
It was not supposed to be anything other than getting my oldest brother, Andrew, settled into his new job at Epic Systems Corporation in Verona, Wisconsin. At least, that is what I first thought. ...
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The Great and Mighty Sequoia National Park
Sequoia. A breath taking sight to behold no matter what season. A haven for people seeking an escape from their daily stressful routines. The park is blessed with wise old trees towering at unbelievable...
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Disney World or Bust….Or That Was What I Thought!
The large pretzel jar was labeled “Disney World or Bust” and was almost filled to the top with coins. My family had been saving for our family trip for two years and we knew this...
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Meeting Myself
If you haven’t seen Barcelona at twilight, you will never really understand the true meaning of the word “beautiful.” I toured Barcelona on a cold, yet refreshing December day....
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Family Vacation to Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
Spring break, 2012, and my parents, my three younger siblings, and I left North Carolina for a two day stay in a lakeside home at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. The...
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A Valuable Exploration
In my mind, I pictured groomed, pristine streets overflowing with fashion-conscious, fast-walking citizens. I’d been to cities before, I knew what to expect—but the moment...
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The Big, The Beautiful, The Bison and The Broken
Throughout my life I’ve traveled across the United States after my parents set the goal for me to see the 48 continental states before going to college. However no trip has compared to...
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A Superpower I Didn’t Know I Had: Mission Trip to Ensenada, Mexico
Last Spring Break, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with my church youth group. Our team had two goals for our stay in Ensenada, Mexico: to build a house for a family in the area and...
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Cruise Through Radiator Aprings
Schools out for the summer but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop learning. An education doesn’t always present itself in the form of text books, life experience is a valuable...
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The View of Hong Kong from a Double Decker Bus
After a stressful junior year of High School, nothing could describe how happy I felt when the airplane lifted off the ground of Chicago. I had been anticipating this trip for months, waiting to...
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Definition of Culture
The number of ways to acknowledge another human’s presence is infinite. Waves of the hand, nods of the head, or even twitches of the mouth are all methods of salutation; however, the most unique...
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TCU trip.
In the past five years, my family and I have traveled to many different states. I have family spread out all over the world. I love being able to take a vacation and travel to see them. I can honestly...
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The summer adventure of a lifetime: Summer vacation 2007
In the summer of 2007 my family and I took a trip to Europe. Throughout the trip we explored Berlin Germany, Zurich Switzerland, and Barcelona Spain. Although we had a blast, our main mission in...
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Assimilating with Nature
Traveling can be a very relaxing and rejuvenating experience, specifically when traveling to an area that is open in a variety of natural aspects. Every summer my family travels to San Luis Potosi,...
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Summer days in my Second Home
The sun danced in the sky, on this warm summer day in Bavaria, Germany. After days of rain, the spirit of delight hung in the air, as young and old greeted the clear blue sky. This summer, was spent...
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Pourquoi Pas?
This is me, the health freak who won’t even put dressing on her salad, indulging in ice cream and crepes daily. The same girl who won’t touch beef chomps down on blood sausage and organ meat. When...
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Locks of Love
The Louvre: a famous palace-turned-museum most famous for housing the well-known Mona Lisa, or la Jaconde,...
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Where are the spies in Washington D.C.?
As we stepped out of our car and onto the gravel parking lot, I knew we were going on an adventure that was completely new to me and my family. As we waited for the Amtrak train bound for Chicago to arrive,...
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Uniquely Similar
I woke up to a hint of sunlight, feeling strange that I was not in my own bed. Then it came to me: I was in Madrid, Spain, 3,000 miles and an ocean away from the United States. I weaved my way through...
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