BONDING ON THE ISLE OF CAPRI
In June 2012, I ventured on a school trip to Italy with thirteen of my fellow classmates from Haverhill High School. The 10-day trip, which was with EF Educational Tours, began in...
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Lake Powell, Utah
On July 9th through July 13th, I had the privilege to go to Lake Powell, Utah. I have been to many lakes before, including the Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake,...
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Frog Rock…Not as Cute as it Seems
The summer after my freshman year of high school my parents, my cousin Rance and I were all headed to Salida, Colorado for vacation. We were going to go river rafting the next day and I was...
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A First Step Into the World
At the young age of 13, I got to experience a trip that very few can relate to. In 2009, 12 other middle school students and I were selected as representatives of the Temecula Sister City Association...
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The Beginning of an Even Bigger Beginning: British Columbia, Around the Other End of the Iceberg
I want to orbit this Earth and, as I do, I want waves of understanding to wash over me like a pebble and smooth my rough edges over and over until I become a sphere so I can become well –...
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Hidden in the Adirondacks
Camp Massawepie, Adirondacks, New YorkYes, this is a Boy Scout camp which may make one question why I, a girl, would claim this to be one of the best vacations I have ever been on. My...
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Memorial Peace Park In Hiroshima
Walking into the Memorial Peace Park in Hiroshima, Japan I fully expected my classmates and I to get dirty looks we were in fact Americans and our relatives may have helped in the development of the...
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Drowning Diaries
When planning a vacation to Hawaii, one usually envisions relaxing in a hammock, scuba-diving, or searching for seashells. Rarely does one imagine experiencing a dramatic, life-changing event. But...
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4M: Metro, Maps, Mishaps & Merriment
Travel is a gift. The experiences that one faces and lives through while traveling, are the most valuable souvenirs one can acquire. These lessons and treasures can be taken, used, and...
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A New View from the Sidelines
I gawked at enormous Catholic churches with figures of Jesus staring with tortured eyes, the brightly colored and glimmering costumes worn by the bravest of bull fighters, and Paellas rich with local...
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New York City Tourist Shunners
June 13, 2012 We darted into the banal Queensborough Plaza S ubway station today, a block away from our Comfort Inn...
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Just a Dream
It all felt surreal. The light breeze that hit my face, the smiles and laughter that came out of me and my little sister Brieanna, it was almost like I was watching from the clouds, because the high...
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Azerbaijan: My Cultural Wake-Up Call
Sweat creeps up my shirt as my lungs fill with smoke, waiting to get through customs at the Baku International Airport. Foreign words bombard my ears and an old man translates the question, “Do...
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The Ties of Tradition
It was just past eight o’clock, and night had fallen in Tokyo. Groups of people aged everywhere...
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Life Is Not a Tourist Attraction
Some people travel the world so they can cross the sites of their bucket list. Leaning Tower of Pisa? Check. Statue of Liberty? Check. I guess I’m not like most people, though, because I’d...
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Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple
I now understand why people go to New York to try to fulfill their dreams. New York just has that special “it”...
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Small Fish in a Big Sea
It had been a long flight out to the Cayman Islands; however, the sight of the ocean and the prospective snorkeling trips filled my heart with excitement. I knew my family felt the same way because...
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Learning to Sail on Puget Sound
Just over a week ago, I went on my third annual visit to my best friend. A few years ago, her family moved to Port Townsend, Washington. It's been hard not having her just down the...
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Journeying in Jamaica: A trip of a Lifetime
One of the most rewarding experiences I have encountered in my life was when I traveled with...
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What Remains the Same
Dusty street carts bustled along the sidewalk, passing various clothing and grocery vendors who lined the streets with umbrellas and blankets covered with fruits, vegetables and trinkets. Lao...
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Different, But in a Good Way
We arrived in Italy on Saturday, April 7th. After over twelve hours of travel, getting yelled at by a German lady, and a bad case of jetlag, nothing felt better than walking outside and being...
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My Expierences of the Rocky Mountain Colorado
I sit in my living room finding myself staring at the glistening lights of our deep green Christmas tree daydreaming of how my first trip to Colorado will be like. My mother and I took our flight...
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Masiphumelele
As we walked across the taxi parking lot, the hosts of our bed and breakfast introduced us the woman who would be giving us the walking tour of their township. She was a bigger woman, with thick,...
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It’s Not Just Paradise It’s Heaven on Earth
Whoever said Hawaii was paradise was an understatement. Hawaii is more than just paradise it’s practically heaven on earth. With picturesque beaches and gorgeous sights the island of Maui is...
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San Miguel Jalisco Scholarship Antonio Cruz
I was born in the small town of San Miguel, Jalisco in Mexico, and moved to the United States when I was six. As a kid I never knew there was any place better than the small town I lived in. When...
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Pura Vida
When American teenagers imagine their perfect summer, they usually incorporate, waking up at odd hours of the afternoon, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and mostly doing nothing. However,...
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Swaziland: The People
Swaziland. A small country in southern Africa facing big problems. Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world. Some 200,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS out of a population that...
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Unexpected Discoveries
July 17, 2012 I live in South Dakota. Rural South Dakota to be specific. Big cities are not really my thing, and never have been. When my parents told me that they wanted to take a family...
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Looking through different eyes: the world and how it is perceived differently
Sweat pours down the faces and backs of the volunteers. Our arms are sore, our lips are parched but we continue to nail, sand and paint the pews. We are renovating two churches: Our Lady of Guadeloupe...
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A Mission Trip in Downtown Atlanta
My mom and I found out about the organization Church on the Street from a member of our church who had done mission work in Atlanta recently. He began planning an all church mission trip to work...
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Finding Shangri-La
We were just a few tourists heading into the heart of Xianggelila in China, hoping to catch a glimpse of mao niu, or hairy cow (yak). The many rice paddies and crumbling stone...
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Road trip with grandma, making memories that will last a lifetime!
Traveling is an amazing experience. I had no idea that this mini vacation could have such an impact on my life. A simple trip to Omaha, NE and Council Bluffs, IA was perfect get away for me and my...
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The Secret Side of Paradise
When you hear the word paradise, you probably think of a place with clear green sea water, palm trees, beautiful blue sky, and soothing soft sand...
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Viz-whaaaat?!?
Hello travelers!! I'm excited to tell you all about the wonderful trip my family took to Miami and the Florida Keys this summer! This vacation...
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Mountains, Waterfalls and Goats on the Roof
It took tons of research, convincing and finger-crossing to get my parents to take me on the vacation I'd always wanted: a roadtrip to some mountains and waterfalls. Regular visits to the...
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A Check Off the Bucket List
When I think of Barcelona, I can feel it. I can feel the rush of the subway as it passes by and I can feel the wind through my hair as I'm standing on the roof of...
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My Travels
In the beginning of August of 2010, my family and I went to Florida for a week on vacation. This would be our last family vacation...
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Lost Abroad
At 17 years old, I believe myself to be very globally conscious-I desire to make a difference in the world, primarily through creating a system that will help those in poverty live in harmony with...
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My Grandparents’ Soil Where My Heart Finds a Place
Having emigrated as a tiny baby from the small country of Belarus whose inhabitant amount hardly exceeds nine million, I was...
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Beautiful Italia
Last year my family and I took a once- in- a- lifetime vacation to Italy! Our first leg of the trip took place in the hustle...
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Climb Ev’ry Mountain
It was dark as we zoomed up the inner bowels of a mountain, and cold too. The train racing at speeds likely greater than 60 miles an hour. The pressure changes were recognized by me and my friends...
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Hidden Treasures in Poverty
One of the best trips I have ever been on was my mission trip to Nicaragua. That trip was the first time I had ever been in a primarily Spanish speaking country. We flew into the capital,...
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Our Trek from Beaver Bay to Castle Danger
This summer my family and I took a backpacking trip along the Superior Hiking Trail that runs from Duluth, MN to the Canadian border. We started at the Beaver Bay trailhead and hiked thirty-two miles...
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A trip to Spain: Redefining Family Time
In my travels to Spain this summer the idea of "family time" has been redefined. A major part of this realization had to do with the challenge our tour guide gave us at the beginning of...
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Touched By an Angel….Actually 31 Angels
A trip I’ve taken as a teenager that has impacted my life greatly is actually a trip I’ve been on 4 times and plan on...
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The Streets of Ecuador
I have recently been given the opportunity to experience something very humbling; something that has changed my outlook on life dramatically. This summer, I found two weeks...
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Tent Near a Picnic Table
With the sky darkening and clouds becoming too full for the sky to hold it’s gathering weight, rolling threats from thunder had us scuttling to find a nice open place to unfold...
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Traveling Far To Reach A Close Distance
Travel has always taken place within the human race, raising the question: what drives the need to travel and why is the pursuit of travel never ending amongst our kind?
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Europeans Don’t Believe in Air Conditioning
Of course Europeans don’t believe in air conditioning. They are acclimated to the climate and don’t have a problem with the humidity unlike some foreigners (ahem). And I’m not just...
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