It’s Not Just a Mountain
“There it is guys!” I turned and looked out the window to see it. It was even more breathtaking than I had imagined. I had visited many mountains during my family’s yearly trips to national parks,...
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An Escape From The Concrete Jungle
They say that riding a bike is something that you remember how to do your whole life, and once you learn, you’ll never forget. This felt quite untrue as I pedaled my bike through the lush forests of...
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Yellow Mountain: From a Picture to Real Life
The first time I heard about Yellow Mountain (“Huangshan”) was when my dad showed me an old black-and-white photo in which he, a then-7-year-old boy, stood in front of a gray mountain and grinned widely....
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Returning Home
It had only been a few hours since I’d lugged my overstuffed suitcase off the plane, through customs, and out the double doors of the airport. But now, far from the newly remodeled, sleek corridors of...
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Dying to Go Home
It was July 11, 2018 when I stepped into the small hair salon with my new friends and tour guide. As I relaxed into the black leather chair and stared at myself in the mirror,...
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New York City’s Charm
People rushed around me hurriedly in all directions. Everyone seemed to have something vastly important to do. A smartly dressed woman, briefcase in hand and phone pressed to her ear, marched firmly, unbothered...
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First Time Going International…try seven countries.
I come from two undocumented parents from Mexico who are not able to travel internationally because of their migratory status. This status kept my family from exploring the massively diverse cultures of...
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Reconnecting with Isolation; An Appalachian Expedition
Spring break isn’t often thought of as a time of spiritual exploration, and rarely yields a ‘break’ from the hustle and bustle of the commercialized world we live in. Because of this preconceived...
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A Special Night in the Dominican Republic
The pink and orange hues melted together into the sky overlooking the verdant hills as the sun finally descended to end its glorious day. On the other side of the barbed wire, cows settled into the vastness...
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The Sinister Site of Sachsenhausen
As I walked through the old iron gate, a chill ran down my spine. This was a doorway to hell. A sign on the gate displayed an old Nazi Slogan: Arbiet Macht Frei- Work Sets You Free. My family visited...
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“Fourth” World Travels; Bringing Hope to Haiti
As I stepped off the plane, I could immediately feel the dryness in the air. Haiti had not experienced a decent rain in seven months before our travel there in April 2019. The airport was tiny, but we...
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Get Lost
As a high school sophomore, I was confident I could take over the world. My goal was always to achieve fluency in Spanish, and traveling to a Spanish-speaking country would be the ultimate way to test...
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Humbling History Lesson-A Visit to Anne Frank’s House
Last summer I had the privilege of travelling to Germany and the Netherlands with my family to visit relatives for a few weeks. We had several fun filled days planned such as visiting the Neuschwanstein...
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Connected by Coloring
I felt ashamed for feeling uncomfortable when I was around those in poverty. It took courage to venture out of my familiar bubble of suburban Arvada, Colorado into the low-income areas of Houston, Texas....
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Student of the World
During the summer before my junior year of high school, I traveled to Spain with the world language department at my school. I did well in my Spanish class and could speak enough Spanish to order food,...
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Grand Canyon Rim2Rim: A Test of Fortitude
My eyes traced the trail ahead of me until it was reduced to the size of a thread as my dad and I approached the South Rim trailhead. We woke up early, ambitious and ready to embark on our hike. Both of...
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The Tales of a Commuter
I had come to Chicago from Atlanta for a summer internship for high school students at Loyola University. Yet, I had not once ventured out of the four walls of my dorm to experience the bustling city life....
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Angel Island’s Mysteries
Angel Island was lush, green and beautiful. A typical vacation spot, obscured by forests which resembled the Amazon Jungle. The Golden Gate Bridge overlooked the tiny speck of paradise. However, it had...
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As White as Snow
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Pure white sand, going on for miles and miles. As we drove down the winding road, my family and I admired the mounds of sand. We watched the sun’s rays reflect off the shining...
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My Mom and I
This is a picture of my mother and I, standing atop the famed botanical garden in Eze, France. It was the summer after my sophomore year, and my mom and I were travelling through southwest Europe after...
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Welcome to the Rock
“We drove 2,400 miles, 35 painstaking hours in the car to see a jail, much less one that’s abandoned?” I rest my arms on the boat railing and glanced over at my exhausted family. After a long journey...
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Her name was Xochitl
Christmas had arrived. Through the colored picturesque streets of San Miguel de Allende I walked, taking in the smell of warm churros and the fruity scent of ponche. Christmas lights hung above the streets...
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The Discovery of a New Language in Haiti
As the sweat dripped from my forehead I couldn’t help but wonder - was it from the intense heat, or was it from the butterflies currently inhabiting my stomach? I had just landed in Cap Haitian, Haiti,...
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Finding Home
After an eighteen-hour flight from Los Angeles, I finally arrived in New Delhi. It had been five years since I last visited and I don’t remember much from my past experiences, but I do remember my unwillingness...
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Making Memories in the Mediterranean
My family and I eagerly dipped our toes into the golden sand of Costa Brava and admired the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea after over an hour of scenic driving through the suburbs in Spain. The crisp...
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Vancouver! On a Budget!
"Little one! Little one! Would you like a fresh baked cookie Little one?" My 4 foot 6, 11-year-old sister (who HATES being called short) whipped her head around in anger only to see a friendly, elderly...
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Bitter Teas, Sweet Views
In June, the Tea Club from my school took a week-long trip to Japan. Japan has an incredibly rich culture revolving around the growth, presence, and consumption of tea, so we thought it would be an amazing...
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Land of the Royal Bengal Tiger
“Who are you?” The question that appeared on my last summer English assignment kept lingering on in my head as I flew back to my home country, Bangladesh, for the first time since I came to America....
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To Hell and Back
This was the summer of our epic father/son journey out West. My dad and I set out on a six-week adventure full of camping, hiking, mountain biking, rafting and fly fishing. We mountain biked the Deadman’s...
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