Life Lessons: We Learn Them in Every Language
After a red eye flight beginning at two a.m., we hit the ground running. Some of us were lucky enough to find time to sleep on the six hour flight to San Jose; unfortunately I was not one of the...
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Donner Pass
My sophomore year of high school I went to Donner Pass in California with a group called The Woods Project. I had to...
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Everything about life can be a beautiful organized mess
I sat down on the cold stone bench of the train station and glanced up at Alejandra’s shifting eyes when she chimed “Well, this is scary…just kidding,” she laughed. The funny thing...
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Travel Through A Teen Heart
It took a while, but I have successfully traveled through the roller coaster that is love once over, a ride through my own soul and conscious. I went to Ireland, inside...
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My Grecian Travels
My family has an impeccable sense of timing when it comes to planning vacations, and my first trip to Europe was no exception. We arrived at the Athens International Airport on June 29th,...
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Mountain at Day Break
My family and I have lived in Texas our whole life, and then just like that, with a phone call, we are packed and on the road to Colorado, Springs. Saying goodbye to friends and loved ones was difficult,...
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A Waving Symbol
Wind tangles through a flag suspended high above the central square. Red, green, and white, it wrinkles and snaps, catching the attention it deserves. A symbol of its people, it is a reminder that Cozumel,...
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Our Spontaneous Combustion Trip To Gulfport, Mississippi
The summer of 2011 was drawing to a close. I had been living in rural Missouri for five years and was truly missing the beach. ...
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Scratched the Surface
The morning heat drumed lazily on my forehead as I read The Sun Also Rises in a hammock on my aunts back porch. This would seem like an ordinary porch, but that would be under ordinary circumstances....
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California’s Hidden Serenity
Within the fast life of California living, there is a peaceful serenity where travelers can pause from life to admire all the magnificent aspects of nature’s beauty. On June...
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The Exotic East
Arriving in the city of Siem Reap, Cambodia, it was not the sight of rickshaws racing nonchalantly through the flooded streets or the schoolchildren frolicking through the current these vehicles...
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Stars over a Desert Field
I had experienced something of deep, profound intensity. We had just landed in Karachi, Pakistan where the summer heat was a presence in its own right. My mother, little brother, and I had...
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Krabi: Scenic Town Thriving after the Tsunami
At first, my family and I were apprehensive of visiting the scenic Thai town of Krabi due to its recent tsunami disaster in 2005, but we were willing to take a chance to see how this tourist hotspot...
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Where Dreams Come to Life
Have you ever seen that strange kid standing in the middle of a huge crowd just totally mesmerized by his surroundings? Well that kid was me as I stood in the middle of Times Square in New York City,...
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The Alleyway to Enlightenment
I have walked the paths of the ancient emperors and nobility. The indelible splendor of the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City provides an excellent insight to Chinese history and culture. However,...
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Paris
Paris. What comes to mind? Is it romantic French cafes, filled with soft music and the murmur of good food and even better wine? Is it the roaring Champs Elysees, with its do-or-die roundabout...
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Chicken
I barely heard my sister shouting over the rushing waterfall. My hands were quivering with adrenaline and my heart was beating like a drum as I peeked over the edge. Cautiously, I caught a glimpse...
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Fogo Island Summer
Moose meat. I knew I was a true “Newfie” when, at the end of my first week on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, I actually started craving moose meat (I really loved it). I even felt like a...
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The party city that never sleeps! Reykjavik, Iceland!
A cloudy haze hung low in the seemingly rain laden sky as our plane touched down on an early summer morning at Keflavik airport in Iceland. My family made our way through baggage claim and stepped...
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The Power of People Watching
I did a double take. Yep, my eyes did not deceive me—indeed, there waltzed a fluffy puppy wearing nothing short of a frilly, pink dress. And suddenly,...
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My Summer Traveling Through Thailand
In July of 2011 I found myself on a plane departing from Los Angeles International Airport to Bangkok, Thailand. From there I would take another plane to the northern city of Chiang...
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Furry Encounters
As a family camping is our go to vacation. It’s the time of summer we can forget the rest of society, whether it be school, work, or the neighbors, it’s the period of time we can all...
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Roaming Through Rome
I have dreamed about spending a whole day in Rome, Italy all my life. My family and I this past Christmas finally took the plunge and bought tickets to Italy for the holidays. It was all that I expected,...
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The Adventure of Cement Culture
“No, no, no don’t take the bus. Everything is close enough to ride the train or walk." A native...
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Neuschwantein Castle and Magical Mystery Tour
A ‘mad’ king and a beautiful castle; it may sound like another one of the Grimm Brothers fairytales,...
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The U.S Second Capital: New York City
The summer of 2011 was the most eventful traveling season my family had ever planned. In July we went to Myrtle Beach then New York City all within a seven day span. New York City was the farthest...
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Unexpected Excitement in Sun Valley, Idaho
I’ve been to Yellowstone, Hawaii, New York, Washington D.C., Mexico, and L.A., but the one unexpected vacation...
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A Tale of Traversing Nice
Though our bus full of school groups had been traversing France for seven days, when we reached Nice, everyone pressed their nose to the window to get a glimpse of the gorgeous new city. The...
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Amidst the Ruin Remains Hope
Landing in the Dominican Republic this past january, I was extremely uncertain. I had never been on a missions trip before, or even experienced much poverty. All at once however, I was being completely...
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Exploring the Urban and Rural lands of Argentina: A peek into my heritage
In the winter of 2007, my family and I ventured to the vast expanse of land known as Argentina, located in South America alongside Brazil. My father is from Rosario, a small rural town approximately...
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Dhanyabaad ????????
Dhanyabaad is a word that I used so much in only two weeks. Dhanyabaad mean thank you in Tharu and the people of Dhurzhanna, Nepal had me using it so much with their outrageous kindness. Living in...
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Snapshots Of The Deutsche Bahn
It was very early, just after dawn on a June morning, and my host father helped me unload my luggage from the trunk of his car. We hauled it past the arrival boards and up to the platform, where we...
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Behind The Falls – A Journey Through Niagara Falls
Ever feel like taking a step across the border to experience an entirely new country. That is what I did last year when my mom and I took a weekend trip to Ontario, Canada to view the amazing Niagara...
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A Personal Paradise
Hopping on a plane and flying to various destinations feels natural to me. I have been doing it most of my life. However, this particular trip had me itching to get of my seat and depart the plane....
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You Can’t Save a City (N.O.L.A.)
On April 13th , 2012, I embarked on an amazing service-learning adventure to New Orleans, Louisiana, with 35 other kids from my high school. We spent almost a year fundraising and doing...
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Rags to Stitches: A Repurposed Clothing Project
Hi. I'm Morgan Jones. I'm a Senior at the Community School in Sun Valley, Idaho. This Spring I, and my fellow peers, will embark on our individually designed Senior Projects. In order to...
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The Walk That Changed the Talk
Growing up, God was always a part of my life. I knew that he did great things for me and the people around me, and I knew that he was the highest of the high. However, I've never had a personal...
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Choral and Cultural Integration
Everyone was so excited. Luggage checks were carried out. Tags inserted. Goodbyes expressed. Busses boarded. Off we went to Newark Airport. No one had ever heard of Slovenia, so when people would ask...
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Falling for New York City
Bright lights. Crowded Streets. Seas of buildings. Such assets comprise the typical formula of countless cities—and New York City is no exception. Media often glamorizes New York, along with...
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Journey to Skellig Michael; a Pilgrimage of Dreams
Bacon, sausage, fried ham and eggs, tomatoes and toast were laid before me on a piping hot plate. From the bright bay window ahead I gazed out on a cool grey morning. St. Finnian’s bay curved...
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There is Always a Way of Life to Learn
I carefully peak around the room, frightened of offending the family as my mouth gapes open observing my new setting. The room reminds me entirely of Little House on the Prairie as I sit at the wood...
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Discovering The Beauty of Hawaii…and The Pain
The sequestered isles of Hawaii radiate in bursts of sunshine and insouciance. Out of the vast and seemingly interminable...
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Choosing Joy In Uganda
At 16 years old, I looked at my life, and realized I had no clear direction. I was still trying to figure out how and where I was called to serve. So at 16, I made...
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A Dancer’s Paradise: New York City!
New York City is the ultimate place to dance because they have every style taught by the very best in their field. I have been dancing since I was three years old and have been going...
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Bon Voyage! France and Italy!
Ever since I was a small child, I have wanted to bask in the glory of the Eiffel Tower, feel the true power of God in the magnificent Cathedrals of Europe, and to relax on the seaside of the Mediterranean....
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Istanbul, Turkey: Where East Meets West
Mexico, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti, Bermuda, Argentina, Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India, China, Japan, South Korea. I, India Lewis, am a traveler...
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And All OUR Dreams Will Come True
Recently, me and my family finally got to take a trip that we were working so hard on this year; to Disneyland California. We've been planning the trip for years, but never got the chance to...
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