Aquatic thrills, mingling with mammals, and much more found only in Paradise
As I gripped the rails that kept me from plummeting, my knuckles turned as white as the grains of sand on the pearly white beach. Then the light turned green signaling that it was my turn. ...
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Hoodwinked
When I first found out that I would be vacationing in Haiti, I had mixed emotions. Visiting exotic locations is one of my passions, but the idea of spending three weeks in isolated villages had me...
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The Rain Clouds Below Us
A blast of hot sticky air hit my face as I got off the bus; my first instinct was to turn around and retreat back into the air-conditioned oasis. But unfortunately for me the bus doors had already...
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Destination Free Wifi
Getting up at 4:00am to go to the Airport is not what I had in mind for my first week of summer vacation....
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Personally Exotic
In the spring of 2012, my junior year of high school, I had the pleasure to go on a Royal Caribbean cruse to the Bahamas. It was for four sun filled days spent out near the beautiful clear ocean...
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A Tale of Two Countries
The scorching sun beams on my face, the dry, sandy wind blows by, causing me to squint my eyes, and the sizzling terrain burns my feet. Saudi Arabia is one of the hottest places in the world; it’s...
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Foot-sore and Fancy-Free
Ten AM local time, and we’re taking our first steps into Midway Airport on patriotic July Fourth. My family has no map, no plans, and no problems. At face value, our reason for coming here...
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A Shift in Perspective
Travel. That one word brings many images to mind. Beautiful locations and amazing times, new foods and different...
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And My Future Was Written To Be in NYC
It all started with Nick Jonas. I was 16 and madly obsessed with him and the Jonas Brothers. He had a Broadway show and I live 3000 miles away from it. So, I longed. I persuaded. I convinced. I bought....
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Tales From a Mountain Side
After nine hours, I finally stepped off the small, confined plane into the cool Alaska breeze. Gorgeous mountains, peaks covered with snow surrounded me. The picture perfect scenery, as if painted...
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Key to Nature’s Door
I’ve never really been a nature walker, but after travelling to New York I have recognized the beauty and wonder of nature in its simplest and grandest forms. With my family, I visited...
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Just Take the Tube!
I had never been in England before. Rarely had I ever travelled without my parents in the past either. Yet both these situations somehow came together in my trip to London this summer with my brother. ...
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Japan: Connecting to My Heritage and Studies
Authors are awe-inspiring. They miraculously create vivid images and emotions which depict fierce battles, heartbreaking romance, historical societies, scientific discoveries, suspenseful adventures,...
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Wedding on the Westcoast
Having our mother work for the airlines for most of our childhood has provided us with great experiences that my sisters and I consider ourselves very lucky to have had. Unlike many of the people in our...
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An oasis of serenity..11 miles away from a volcano
I felt my heart racing, my lungs begging for more oxygen, my feet hurting with every step and my brain screaming at me “Are we close? What were you thinking, bringing yourself all the way...
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Defining Alaska
Alaska…snow, Eskimos, and igloos, right? Well, not exactly. When I first touched ground in Fairbanks, Alaska, I was completely shocked. “This isn’t the Alaska that I see in movies and...
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Going West
The summer of 2012, my aunt, uncle and cousin Sasha invited me on a three-week trip to Colorado and Utah. I was there partially to keep my cousin company on while camping and touring state and national...
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Adventuring To Key West & Mexico
My trip began at the Port Of Miami where my petite mother Sharon bustled along trying to make sure everything is in order. My inaudible sister Brigette was ears deep in her head phones listening...
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A Yellowstone Dream Come True
Last summer, when I went on a family trip, was the BEST summer of my entire life. The memory of that special vacation is forever imprinted into my memory… and I smile to myself as I sweetly...
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Garmisch: Place of Adventures
Being a military child, I get the opportunity to travel quite a bit. I have visited all over the world, lived in exciting places, and taken many vacations to places I never thought I would. Out of all...
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EF Tours provided more than just an Italian tour for my family and I
Through the international travel foundation, EF Tours, I visited Italy this past summer for 12 days with my family and a group of over 30 from places such as North Carolina, New Jersey, and Michigan. ...
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Texas, My Own Personal Paradise
On July 5th I had the pleasure of waking up at 3:00am to get to a 5:15am flight. And since it was the 4th of July the night before you can imagine how well that went. When me, my...
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Big City, Big Dreams
For most kids in my school, spring break means a warm, sunny week at the beach, but my sophomore year, it...
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East Meets West
When I first arrived, I was cranky, exhausted, and annoyed. All I wanted to do was sprawl on a bed and sleep. Jet lag was not working well with me. On top of that, it took us forever to try and find...
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Grazie Scotland
After eight hours of sitting in a cramped space we arrived in London. As we crawled through security, I thought of Europe’s promises: meeting my family from different parts of the world, exploring...
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Snorkeling at Molokini Crater
The sun shimmered through the crystal waters of Molokini Crater. I floated on my back in peaceful bliss. My dad, brother...
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Bear With Me: A Brief Blog about a Brief Adventure
Living in arguably one of the most popular cities in Southern California, one might think that Palm Springs natives would jump at every single opportunity to soak up the sun during the summer.
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The Adventure Begins Here
When people think of Mexico violence and poverty may come to mind. When I think of Mexico adventure and culture pop into my head. My recent trip there, I went with a friend of mine....
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Road Trip on the North Shore
Nearly every year that my family has lived in Minnesota, we have visited the North Shore of Lake Superior. Each time we drive...
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White Water Rafting Gone Wrong
This past summer my extended family and I took a trip to the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area. It was expected to be...
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Hello Serengeti, I’m Here At Last: Learning to Look Beyond Life in Kenya
As a child, I entertained a foolish fantasy of visiting Africa. I believed it to be, most importantly, the land where my favorite silver screen character,...
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Galveston Island
The sun's rays reflected off the water's surface giving the ocean a bright shimmer of gold. I peered out the car window at the blur of sea as we drove passed it. Gliding boats of all shapes...
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Enjoy the Journey
Millions upon millions of sightseers and thrill seekers flock to Arizona to view the Grand Canyon every year; but for my family and me, the journey is what counted. A few years ago, we planned a...
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Snorkels With Sharks
It was midnight, but it was far from dark. I rested my head against the glass and tried to sleep. No. I was too excited. I stared out of the tiny window and the quiet wonder of city lights took hold...
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Solitude
A chill wind, a towering band of mountains, a light snowfall, the distinct scent of lush green pines, maybe a curious bear in the tree line if you’re lucky. These are among the first things that...
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Exploring a New Paradise
From a small aircraft, the beauty of the Abacos was nothing less than breathtaking. Nearly 12,000 feet above the earth’s surface, one could see white sand basking in the ever-present...
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My Trip with Fear
, 2012 when I went on my first escapade to a land filled with intricate, intimidating machines. Its loud swirling noise traumatized even the screeching sounds of butterflies fluttering in the inner...
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The Best Birthday Ever in the Dominican Republic!
What a trip! What a Journey! The Dominican Republic is certainly an interesting place to go on vacation. One of my best friends since third grade invited me on yet another one of her amazing summer...
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my trip to poland
When my girlfriend and I went to visit her family in Poland, we traveled to many different places but the one in particular I enjoyed the most was Sopot. Instead of driving there by car, we got bus...
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My Newfound Sentiment
Israel is a blossoming new country in the Middle East, but ancient tensions plague the area. These tensions often spill over into modern news. The fighting paired with footage of old buildings made...
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A Lesson in Leadership
Gunfire rains down on you from every direction. A sheer cliff looms in front of you, mocking your seemingly futile efforts to climb it. Pre-dawn ocean waves crash against your boots. Your comrades...
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Chipped Reeds
I sat as first chair in the Honors Band, ready to play an unbelievably difficult saxophone solo. Well, that’s what I visualized in my head at least, but things didn’t turn out exactly...
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Island Enlightenment
In February, I went on a three day cruise to the Bahamas for my friend Stephanie’s 16th birthday. As soon as we got on the Carnival Imagination, we went up to the pool deck to check out...
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Experiencing the Real Italy
This past June, my parents decided to take my brother and I on a two week vacation to explore the medieval towns in Germany and the ancient streets of Italy. On day nine of our exploration, we took...
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Journey At Paris
It’s Tuesday morning of my week off from school for Spring break. I look out...
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A Garden of Memories
Two months ago, this was just speculation, an idea interwoven with thoughts of summer. Finally, that idea had reached reality. My parents worked hard on planning a fun vacation through Missouri and...
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Hallo, Deutschland!
My mom first brought up our Germany trip in January. She described it as a "last hoorah" before I go off to college and supposedly forget all about family vacations. We had three weeks...
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Cozumel’s Symbol
The cruise had released us into Cozumel, Mexico, meaning “Island of the Swallows”. It was an attractive day, with the breeze and the light heat of the sun. The pier had the smell of the...
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Lake Powell, Utah
On July 9th through July 13th, I had the privilege to go to Lake Powell, Utah. I have been to many lakes before, including the Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake,...
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