Last year I was given the opportunity to travel to somewhere I had always wanted to go, Germany. My family is German and my last name, Grosskopf, means big head, so I was always curious about exploring where I was from. Time flew by and before I knew it I arrived at the airport and had no idea what to do. I had never been on a plane before so I probably looked foolish. At that point, embarrassing myself confront of the airport staff would not bring me down, I was going to Germany! As we boarded the plane, I sat with two students I was unfamiliar with which I was nervous about. We did not share many of the same interests but some how we all quickly became friends.
The girl next to me, Heather, was two years older than me and said, "I've been on planes tons of times, you've got nothing to worry about, they're actually pretty fun." After take off I couldn't help but agree with Heather, it was fun, and even if it wasn't in eight hours I would be in Germany. We were told to sleep on the plane since we left at six in the evening and would be arriving six in the morning and have a full day of activities. I couldn't really sleep but I closed my eyes and listened to music. I was startled by a strange, warm, wet feeling all over me so I opened my eyes and saw vomit completely covering me, Heather had gotten sick and I thought I was about to. Lucky for me I had a change of clothes in my carry on, but no amount of baby wipes would make me feel completely clean. The plane smelled awful and we used everything we could find to cover it up. My seat was covered in it so I sat on the floor of the plane for the remainder of the ride. When We finally got off that plane, we jumped right on a bus to our first city, Rotten burg. It was a cute, small town with many things to do. We were able to break off into groups and go explore on our own. I felt so independent, and realized this is what my life could be like for four years if I can find enough money to go college rather than commute. I traveled around Germany and Austria, for ten days. It was amazing waking up to a whole new world. Being able to look out your window and see mountains was breathtaking. Speaking a new language was so fun and I learned much more than I would sitting in a class room.
The people of Germany were much different from Americans when it came to their sense of time. Americans always seemed so busy, having to always be somewhere or be in a rush. On the other hand, Germans took everything very slowly and did not seem to care if they were late, they believed "I'll get there, when I get there." The majority of the Germans around four o'clock would go and get Kafee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) and relax for awhile. Seeing this kind of mentality really made me realize how important it is to stop and smell the roses, not rush through life. I was able to do things I would never do before, including touring the salt mines, or going to endless castes, or taking a certain kind of dance class. My trip really got me out of my comfort zone, but made me realize that stepping outside the box was actually exciting. I can't even begin to explain how much I had learned about myself, others, and the German culture. Exploring Germany is something I highly suggest.
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Good morning,
I wanted to give you some feedback…. We went to your site to determine what documentation was needed for my grandson to travel with me to Canada, and printed out two forms. We had one of the forms notarized as suggested, and set out on our trip the next day. When we arrived at the border, I was told we did not have proper identification! The page we had been working from on your site did not say anything about a birth certificate or photo ID, which they said I should have had. PLEASE amend that page to say something like… “In addition to a birth certificate and photo ID, these other documents are recommended…”
Thank you so much for your responsiveness. You may mention this on other pages on your site, but it really should also be on the documentation page.
Janet Gill
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Does Australia require a PERMISSION TO TRAVEL letter?
Oahu is famous for its surfing beach at Waikiki, and that’s where many tourists take their first lesson. There’s calmer water as well as huge waves (if you know how to catch them) and there are many, more popular schools right there on the sand.
You don’t have to stay at a fancy hotel ot take lessons even though some schools are affilated with them; any surf guide will take you to other parts of the island and practice safe surfing with you.
My apologies, Michelangelo's David is not in the Uffizi, but in the Gallery of the Accademia. We did not travel to the Uffizi; the Gallery is the museum which houses David, and all of Michelangelo's bound slave statues.
Happy Travels!
Like you’re going to see any tourists riding the Banzai
What about tourist friendly surf spots?
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Usually it's better to confront your fears. If you choose to do so, as a parent you can start prepping your child with a couple of weeks before the flight. Try taking him to an adventure park where there are similar crafts to airplanes. And step by step you will get him used to flying. Otherwise, if you start drugging him since a child, as you said no good doctor can recommend it. I'm not sure if you would like to take him to rehab because he'll be getting to used to taking too many drugs all the time.
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your link for disney land does not lead you to disneyland, it goes to Catalina Island info
Thanks for the heads-up, we fixed the link and hope you were able to find what you needed about Disneyland.
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Going to the theme parks without the kids is FUN FUN FUN 🙂
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Don't forget Bob Megraw's Blueberry Patch in Kent! They always have the sweetest selection! Check out this other list I found for u-pick spots around Seattle:
http://www.redtri.com/seattle/5-natural-blueberry-u-picks-near-seattle
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Scottsdale, Arizona is known as ‘The West’s Most Western Town’. With average of 300 sunshine days Scottsdale is fast becoming a popular tourist destination. There is plenty to do in this beautiful resort town.
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Hosting an exchange student is a life changing experience for both students and host families! There is so much we have to learn from each other. Getting to know more about a new culture is exciting at ANY age.
As the Director of International Programs in a private school, I have worked with recruiting & placing foreign exchange students in host families. The bonds between host and student become cemented over time and even after the official host experience ends, families continue to be involved. If you are considering becoming a host, I recommend talking with an experienced host family to get the good, the bad and the ugly. Somehow, the good always dominates the experience.
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That was great!
Awesome job! Sounds like a fun trip!
I like how you described sights you saw. and how much fun you had. I enjoyed reading
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