A Night at the Shack
Last July, my Mother, Grandmother, and Aunty Tracey had excitedly made plans to sleep in a log cabin before rafting down the Lehigh River along the lofty peaks of the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania. For...
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Cabo San Lucas and One Unforgettable Dive
With a forceful surge of energy, I heaved myself up out of the chilling water, and collapsed onto the closest bench. The whole snorkel-boat shook -- though admittedly, it was scarcely more than a large...
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Ogunquit: Beautiful Place by the Sea
Maine is a beautiful state nestled on the coast of New England. It kisses the chilly Atlantic Ocean while spreading its arms toward the Canadian Province, Quebec. It’s filled with natural...
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Learning with Elephants
I have always heard that trips enlighten, and yes, that is true. After a trip to Thailand,...
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Wild Travels in the Wild West
Many summer vacations include relaxing on the beach or lounging in a hammock under a blue sky with warm sun. However, my summer vacation was much less relaxing but surprisingly every bit as enjoyable. My...
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Beauty Amongst Poverty
The first thing I distinctly remember was the stifling temperature and humidity. Although it was summer back in Pennsylvania, I didn’t have the slightest idea of the meaning of “heat” until I...
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Summer Ice Cream
A few years ago, my family had rented a house in Massachusetts with a pool to spend a week’s vacation. En route to our destination, we had gone to a local ice cream store, SoCo Creamery; the primary...
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Through Dust and Debris: Exploring a Buried City
If you take one look at Instagram posts under the hashtag “#vacation”, chances are you’ll see photos of people surrounded by palm trees, tanning beds, and beachside pool service in some far off...
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A Volcano and a Hitchhiker Open My Eyes
We had been on Big Island for a week, enjoying the vibrant blue water and colorful Hawaiian reefs, when our family decided we wanted something more adventurous. Naturally, we decided to visit a volcano...
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There Are Rats All Over the World
Venice, Italy is like no other place in all the world. Venetian beauty cascades from atop the clanging San Marco bell tower all the way down into its teaming maze of canals. Walking the narrow,...
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The True Meaning that Lies Beyond the Ocean
“The ocean is everything I want to be. Beautiful, mysterious, wild, and free.” The first time I laid my eyes on the ocean, I instantly fell in love. Ever since I was a young child I...
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The Unexpected Joys In Bread, Cobblestones, and Graffiti
During every vacation that my family takes together, I insist that we must visit various historical sites. When we travelled to France, I fought for a detour to Normandy. When in London, I dragged them...
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First of Many Best Friend Adventures
The last wedding on my mom’s side of the family was finalized, and my family’s attendance was most certainly required. This was the perfect trip for my best...
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“I Think We Might Die” – Tempting Fate at ‘The Bowl’
It was 5:30 am and my mom was egregiously speeding through Arches National Park in Utah. The speed limit was 25 around long, looping curves and roads that wound between towering spires of red sandstone,...
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New York’s Unexpected Beauties
The city was breathtaking, an enchanting and magnetic place I will never forget. The hustle and bustle of New Yorkers trying to get to where they need to be, tourists snapping pictures at every location,...
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My Trip Alaska
Alaska is amazing. Millions of people vacation there every summer, and I was one of the lucky ones. In July 2016, I traveled there from my home in Everett, Wash.,...
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El Casado
“¿Puedo tener el casado?” The waitress from Tierra Mia smiled at me. “I speak English, honey. You’d like la comida típica?” I nodded my head up and down, careful not to further...
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Siblings of the Sea: Ethereal Encounter on the Island of Lanai
I heard them first. The soloist belting out high pitched whistles, each one a burst...
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A Drive Down Memory Lane
I looked to my mother and saw a tear roll down her worn face as she said “We’re here love, this is where my father fished and...
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An Underwater World of Wonder: A Glimpse Into My Future
Softly…softly… Whisper in my ears Swell towards the land Spray on me your tears Let me hold you in my hand Softly…softly… Quickly, quickly! Rush towards the shore High tide is coming Breaking...
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On Becoming an Active Spectator
It’s six in the morning. Today is my last Sunday in Huejuquilla, Jalisco—my birth town—before my family must head home to the United States after having spent the entire month of December here,...
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The Whispering Path
As I walk down the trail, I am in awe of the beauty around me. Tall oak and maple trees tower above me with sunlight streaming through the leaves touching the floor of the forest...
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The Sacred Triangle of Temples
When I found out that I would be visiting Greece for a family reunion last summer, I was beyond thrilled. As a child, I would often find myself buried in a Greek mythology book, so visiting the real...
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Becoming Friends with the Mayans
After the 45-minute bus ride from the port of Costa Maya, we finally arrived. My dad and I had had a front row seat for the tour guide’s lecture and were ready to discover the ancient civilization...
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A Memorable Trip To Bryce Canyon
Travelling is a beautiful journey that leads to many experiences. Around the world people travel to take a break from their daily routines and explore their surroundings. They travel to learn about...
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Walking with Wolves – A Trip to West Yellowstone
It was the middle of July, and it was snowing. To my younger sister and I, this was a miracle in itself; back home in Texas, we got a few inches of snow once or twice a year if we were lucky,...
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Dad, Rafting, and Me
Every time dad called me and invited me to go somewhere, it was special for me. I did not get to see father very often because my parents divorced and he moved to another city. Also, dad’s job included...
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A Journey Through Music and Time
It is known as the city that never sleeps, a name that only seems appropriate with its millions of bustling people, thousands of restaurants, hundreds of successful companies, and one Lincoln Center...
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A Little Too Much on Island Time: My Visit to the U.S. Virgin Islands
The rays of the Caribbean sun first greeted my family as we stepped off the plane. I looked around at the mountains surrounding the airport’s runway, as I climbed down the shaky,...
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Santo Domingo, A Whole New World
In the summer of 2016, my family rented a charming townhouse by the beach, packed our bags and took on what would be one of the most eye-opening experiences we’ve ever had. Ideally, being...
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Emerald Green by the Sparkling Sea
Ireland. A journey of a lifetime and a land of absolute astonishment for any traveler. Upon arriving via Lingus Airways at Shannon Airport, the hues of green confounded every spectator, and was a blinding...
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Munich: Beyond the Hofbrauhaus
Munich, Germany is known as the beer capital of the world and is most famous for its annual Oktoberfest, but this city was founded on more than a love for beer. On a recent trip to the village which...
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Undressed in Atami
Our loaf-shaped tour bus wove up hilly roads to the New Akao Hotel, located in Atami of Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture. Its snow-white buildings had tucked themselves into leafy pockets on the rocky...
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Loving The Unloved: I Can Make A Difference
Large innocent eyes stare at me solemnly, faded from hopelessness and caked with the grit which came from years of living in garbage. Underneath the grime, I notice...
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Restricted By The Lens
It was just yesterday that I was cleaning and came upon a large cardboard box marked pictures. As I opened it up, I looked at the heap of scrapbooks and bundles of photos randomly scattered...
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St. Croix, USVI
It was not the dream trip we thought we had planned. Even still in the plane to St. Croix, USVI, I had expected to...
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Like a Scooby-Doo Cartoon
I half expected a monster with matted green fur wearing a sombrero to scare me just like out of a Scooby-Doo cartoon. Perched on a two-foot wide stone ledge with no guardrail, I gazed at ancient carvings...
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Adventures in Aspen
I'd say that nothing can really change you like travel can. I was sixteen years old, teetering on the edge of elated freedom and terrifying reality. I had never flown without my parents before,...
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Roadtrip to Friendship
On June 30 of 2016, I left my home in Washington State to go on a two-week adventure with my grandparents. For me, the main goal of the trip was to meet my best friend in person, for the first time...
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The Touch of Magic
As soon as I walked in, I immediately regretted it. Cobwebs were dangling off broken chandeliers and spooky music hummed in the background. Dim lights gave the room an orange glow, and everything looked...
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Solace on a Roller Coaster
Here I was. The moment I had always dreaded, but simultaneously looked forward to - riding a roller coaster. Before me was Expedition Everest, Disney’s behemoth of a coaster, situated in a mountain modeled...
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Small Ship Cruising with Families
I have been on three cruises: one with a traditional, large cruise line and two with small ship companies. Yes, big ships offer swimming pools, rock climbing walls, and teen lounges. But...
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Leave No Trace
The Adirondack Mountains, located in Upstate New York, hold forty-six High Peaks above 3,790 feet. One of my favorite vacation activities is hiking some...
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Italy: The Path of the Gods
The narrow, serpentine road hugs the hillside, rocks and vegetation to the left, a sheer drop to the Mediterranean to the right. We’re taking the Sita...
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Climbing to New Caledonia
The American flag waved above me as I paraded across stage with forty other Americans all wearing red white and blue. We were surrounded by the reds, whites, greens and yellows of twenty-six other flags...
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Pompeii Dreams
Young and hopeful, I dreamed of seeing the places from my "Who Was" books and History Channel documentaries. I wrote stories of going to Egypt and discovering King Tut’s tomb for myself. I wished...
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New York Two Ways
The air is sharp, like the people who glance at our mini-man for but a second before discerning our place as outsiders looking into their world. The pale, yet colorful, cynical,...
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Fifteen Cent Priceless Glossy 4×6’s
I can still see myself standing in the middle of the Budget parking lot, basking in the scent of rental cars, trying to imprint the moment in my memory for the rest of my...
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