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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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The Opportunity of a Lifetime in Germany
I have been studying the German language for three years at my school, Central Valley High School. Every year, there is a national exam we take. I took this exam, the National German Exam,...
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Relax to the Max
Have you ever felt like you just need a few days to let everything go? Well that was me a few weeks ago. I needed a break, from everything. And guess what? One day when I got home from practice,...
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Best of the West: Mesa Verde and Arches National Park
Nothing can compare to the thrill of packing the car, hitting the highway, and allowing a toddler to navigate. Oh yes, when my family travels we have one tradition: never choose the destination beforehand....
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Graffiti and Lunar Landscape… in Hawaii?
Graffiti, rundown buildings, and lunar landscape engulfed my eyes as I ventured along the islands. I was not expecting to see any of those features at all! My family and I traveled to Hawaii in July...
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Our Croatian Vacation
Have you ever wanted to go to a different country, but didn’t quite know what to do or how to plan it? Planning a trip across the sea is one of the most exciting things to do....
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Lake Summersville to Lake Norman
My family and I go on a camping trip every summer to Summersville Lake, West Virginia. When I say family it means my huge, crazy, mountaineer loving, extended family that comes from all over. ...
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Lost in Translation
The ambiance was still less than perfect. And I hadn’t come to Rome, Italy to experience anything less than perfection. So almost indignantly, I closed my eyes. I pushed my lids far into each...
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Unexpectedly Amazing
Big, bright, and glamorous is a teenage girls dream. Being the youngest in my family, I never have had much say on what goes on. Always being overpowered by my two head strong older brothers, and...
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The Wonderful World of Earth
Every since childhood, I have been inspired by the masterpieces of the Walt Disney company. Their stories are filled with beloved characters and memorable songs. Like most children, I...
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The Waves Are Calling My Name.
Once that breeze hit me, I knew that I was never going back; back to the heat, the sweat, the tans, the obnoxious and drunk tourists, the big casinos, the night life, and all the commotion that...
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Sand, Sunsets, and a Myriad of Shells… Sanibel
12:00 pm EST in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. The van is packed. We have a headcount of 6. Destination:...
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What’s Up East Coast?
My family's "What's Up East Coast?" trip starts in southern Florida - my home. I slept for probably most of the six to eight hour drive to get to just the border of Georgia so I...
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Real Rome
A taxi driver, talking quickly on his cell phone in Italian as he whizzes down the busy street, passes by the ancient Colosseum. He comes dangerously close to other vehicles. People...
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Gettysburg
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue...oh wait, that wasn't us. But, I guess it kind of was. We started off by loading up the blue SUV for a long trek across this great land known...
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Cozumel: Island of the Swallows
Cozumel, Mexico. How to begin? Paradise. Nirvana. Heaven on earth. “Cozumel” comes from the Mayan name for it: Cuzamil, meaning “island of the swallows,”...
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Family Fun in the Sun
I felt weightless as I floated there in the warm ocean water staring up into the vastly expansive electric-blue sky, which was interrupted every...
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My 2012 Summer Trip to Bangkok, Thailand!!
Ever since I was small, I had always travelled back to Thailand every summer. My parents wanted to keep the culture in me as a Thai person and they wanted me to always keep in...
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Families Come Together at Disneyland
Who doesn't enjoy a family trip to Disneyland? It really is a magical place of its own that can make you forget everything! It being my first time, it lifted my pessimism and reminded me of that old...
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Disney World is for Teenagers Too
Theme park success is a combination of careful planning, good map reading skills, quality of theme park, and flexibility. Oh, and patience! And as cliché as it is, I think Disney World in...
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No Problem: The Motto of Jamaica
Jamaica is often associated with Bob Marley, "herbal medication", Usain Bolt, and perhaps the phrase "Yeah mon," however the most apt description is simply paradise. Jamaica's tropical climate, white...
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Save Me, San Francisco
How did my family decide to travel to San Francisco in the summer of 2011? Did we make a list of all the interesting places we wanted to see and discuss the numerous possibilities? No,...
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How Alaska Led Me to Realizing My “Great Perhaps”
Being a California native, there are certain aspects of life that I have naturally become accustomed to warm air, crowded roads, and the undeniable urge to sing “California Gurls”...
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Finding Rest in the City That Never Sleeps
It was day three on our jam packed New York trip, and our out of shape Mississippi bodies were starting to feel the strain of walking, walking, walking. The heat was getting to me through my jacket;...
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The Awakening
I was thrown into another world as my family and I rode in a fuel sucking tourist bus on our way to an all-inclusive resort in Puerta Aventuras, Mexico. The harsh reality I was forced to face through...
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Visiting Vietnam Once Again
I woke up, feeling a bit tired and a bit hungry. The Captain announced the passenger on board to get ready to leave. I got up and regroup with my family. We later took our first step outside the...
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