End of our World tour

This blog has been so much fun to write! You all have had great advice and fun places for me to go. I hope that someday I will be able to travel the world for real. There are so many great places out there to see, all you have to do is get up and go! If money is a problem I know a lot of people who travel and stay in hostiles. When I travel I will probably do this, save money and go see more places.

Some people never get up and leave their towns, if this is you I strongly encourage you to travel. I have been very lucky and been able to travel a lot in my childhood. I have gotten to meet so many great people and do really fun things that I would never be able to do in my town. You can see pictures of people at the ocean or in some third-world country but you never actually get the experience. For instance I have read a million books on the Holocaust but when I actually went to one in Germany it was a whole different story. Thanks for reading my blog, maybe I will blog again someday!

Madagascar

This week I am going to go to a really different place, one you wouldn’t usually hear people going to. I am going to travel to Madagascar which is an island off the southern tip of Africa. There are a lot of different things to do here. You can go to the beaches and jungle, or the local villages. The people there are very curious of everyone, and like to hear our languages. If you are traveling to the local villages bring along pens, paper and come crayons, the children love it.

As for pretty places to see and fun animals to see, including the fun little animals seen in the movie Madagascar, lemurs. On Madagascar alone there are over 70 species.  The Big Tsingy Stone Forest is the main attraction in Madagascar and is by far the most amazing thing you will see.  It looks like you are in a rock ocean, but it is all rigid and looks really cool. A lot of hikers and climbers like to come here. Madagascar is a place where there aren’t all the big cities and packed clubs but what you find here is natural beauty and very amazing people. The jungle, beach and small villages should be enough if you want a lifelong memory of a beautiful place; I really hope someday I can go here.

Russia

            Russia isn’t the first place that you would imagine taking your vacation. Don’t worry I wouldn’t even consider it if someone asked me, but the more I look into it the more fascinating it actually is. Russia is located in Northern Eurasia, and is a very cultural place. I have done a couple places with warm sunny beaches, and palm trees and a lot of relaxing but this vacation would be different. You would go see sites and be busy looking at museums and looking at really cool historical buildings.

            Some popular sites that I would recommend would be:

1.      Moscow Kremlin- located in the heart of Moscow, it’s a fortified complex that has historic value.

2.      Red Square- Most popular city square in Moscow, it’s very pretty.

3.      Summer Palace- Located in Saint Petersburg and promotes Baroque architecture.

These are just a few of the places you can go and visit, Russia offers a lot of great places you just have to be willing to look for them.

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are located in the British West Indies. They have a lot of beautiful white sandy beaches and extremely teal blue seas. There are a lot of fun opportunities to be a part of in the Cayman Islands. Some of the favorites are seeing Sea Turtles, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving and my personal favorite snorkeling. “The best place to scuba dive is at Kittiwake” said classmate Camile Kling who recently has visited these Islands.

For people who love to just lay out and enjoy the sun there is great beaches and also you can kayak, swim or try some new things and swim with dolphins or rent boats to drive in the beautiful waters. I would highly recommend swimming with dolphins. I have had the opportunity to swim with them twice, and it is an experience I will never forget. The Cayman Islands are a very good place for a family vacation; there are towns that you can go out in if you are of age and fun things for the younger ones to do. I would recommend this for anyone.

Ecuador

This week we will be a fun one for me because one of my childhood friends is doing an Exchange Program there! She is spending 10 months in Ecuador and staying at three different houses. Ecuador is located in South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the equator. So obviously the climate is tropical, which I am sure everyone would love! Ecuador has frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity and flooding. So there are natural disasters but there are also a lot of great things here. The people are very friendly, and the culture is everywhere. I would love Ecuador because there are beaches and many natural attraction as well as tourist things.



Ecuador is known for its five distinct geographic regions, with each one being different but all so beautiful. The Galapagos Islands, Pacific coast, Amazon Rain Forest, the cloud forest and the Andean Sierra are the different areas you can discover in Ecuador. Ecuador has some diverse places and a fun culture for people who want to go to the cities. All in all Ecuador seems like a very fun place to visit! I still need some more suggestions on where you all would like to visit!

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is located in Latin Ameica, it is made up of rolling hills and many active volcanos. It has always been a place I have wanted to visit and exsperiance. There is beautiful beaches that fade into forests and beautful hills. Costa Rica is a place where everyone can go and have something to do. If you like the outdoor hiking, you can hike up Arenal Volcano. If you like to just lay on the beach and tan you can visit any of the beaches, or if you like to shop you can visit any of the very cultural little towns. Drake Bay is one of the most popular spots to see. It is know as one of the most biodiverse places in the world, for people who want to be one with nature. So for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to exspirence some natural beauty this would be a fun place to visit!
You can leave any sugestion as to where you want to travel next week :)

How to plan a long vacation to a different country.

Hello everyone! This week we are going to take a break from travaling and seeing new places and I am going to give some tips on having a fun vacation!
At first planning a vacation can seem like a lot of stress but it really isnt, it can actually be really fun! The first thing you need to decide is where you want to go, a beach, historical place, tourist place any of these types of destinations. The next step is to start looking for places to see and fun things you would like to do on this trip.

Tip: Talk with whoever you are going on the trip with and decide if it is going to be a trip where everything is planned or if you should leave some days open for fun things you see to do!

Now all you need to do is start to book plane tickes and hotels. I would reccomend using websites like hotels.com and expedia.com and other trip planners. Once everything is planned all thats let to do is travel and have fun. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do, I love to learn new cultures and how other people live!

My last tip for you is to not plan your day out in hours, you will have some deleys or something will be messed up and everything wont go smooth. This is the best part, you learn how to be spontaneous :) Have fun!!

India

India is located in Southern Asia, India is a place with extreme diversity. India attracts backpackers and spiritual and cultural seekers. Your trip to India will be memorable guaranteed either with good memories or even some bad. The Himalayas go through India and there are also beaches, which means there is something for everyone. Here are some must see places.

1.       Shimla- It is a popular tourist destination because of their neo-goithic buildings, in the midst of beautiful hills and thick forests. It looks absolutly amazing to see :)
2. Taj Mahal- Which pretty much signifies India, it is the first stop for any tourist. To see it in pictures is amazing but to see it in real life is on a whole new level. (Not that I have seen it)
3. Goa- Goa is know for some of the best beaches in the world, and it's fun and exotic food. The beaches are very secluded and the water is beautiful.
4. Delhi- To me this looks like something from a fantasy land. I have never seen anyting like it. IT is India's capitol and is a mix of modern and historic life.
India looks like a really great place for a vacation, you can get a couple days on the beach and then go and see some amazing sites. Some of which are apart of the most beautiful places in the world. I hope to visit India someday, I have always been interested in their culture and sites.

Austrailia

Good day Mate! This is how you would be greeted by a local Aussie. Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere, which is pretty much on the other side of the world. Everyone has seen the movies in Australia and how beautiful it is, there is great natural beauty as well as the architectural beauty. Some places to see are The Sydney Opera House, The Great Barrier Reef, experiencing the Outback, and of course the AMAZING BEACHES!


The only downfall to Australia is that there are alot of things that can bite!!! Snakes and Alligators on land and then in the ocean there are Sting Rays, Sharks, barracudas and more. The Great Barrier Reef is where Steve Irwin(Crocodile Hunter) was killed by a String Ray when their poisonous barb pierced his heart. On the other hand Australia has very cute and fun animals like the Kangaroos, and Koala Bears. So wherever you are in Australia be careful but also don’t hesitate to explore the Great Barrier Reef because it looks absolutely amazing.

           

Italy :)

Hello everyone, I decided this week we should head to Italy because it is the country when I think of romance. What better way to kick off Valentine’s Day then learn about these beautiful places. The first thing I would have to say about Italy is... PASTA!! Italy is located in Southern Europe and is the boot shaped country. The capitol of Italy is Rome, which is the top city to visit. When I think of visiting Italy it always seems like a really romantic and pretty. I would go to Italy because I have always wanted to see Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. All of these places have beautiful culture and architecture. Here are some of the must see places!

 1.San Gimignano- It is famous for its 14 towers that date back to the 13 century

2. Leaning tower of Pisa- A free standing bell tower in Pisa that is literately leaning to the side.

3.Lake Como- A lake of glacial origin and is the third largest lake in Italy, it has beautiful scenery.

            These are some of the beautiful places you could go in Italy but I am sure that anywhere you go would be amazing and a great experience.

Spain :]

So this week I decided we should travel to Spain. When I think of Spain I always think of the Cheetah Girls movie when they go to Barcelona. Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula and is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, and Atlatic Ocean. Spain has many influences as for the culture and mostly they speak Spanish but there are a lot of other languages spoken their regularly. Some must-see places in Spain is the Palacio Real, which is the official residence of the King of Spain. It looks like it is just a big building, but the architecture is beautiful. Another beautiful place to see with amazing views is La Concha, it is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

The place that I would most recommend to see is Cuenca, it is a city built on a cliff. Their houses are called hanging houses, because they are right on the edge of steep cliffs, would you want this to live in? I would be scared to fall off the edge but it would be beautiful to see. Traveling to Spain is a long trip but it is definitely worth it, the views are spectacular and the culture that is here is unbelievable. Feel free to request any of your favorite vacation spots.

Turks and Caicos

Hello everyone! This blog is for any family who wants to have fun with kids any age, you can never run out of things to do at our next stop. My sophomore year my family and two of my brothers friends went to the Caribbean on an island called Turks and Caicos. We went to the resort called Beaches, which is the family version of Sandals. It is only an hour flight from Orlando Florida, so it isn’t too far for flying with a young family.

                When you first get to the resort they greet you with cold towels and the best tropical drink you could imagine. Then a friendly tour guide will show you everything you need to know about Beaches and all the fun activities you can do. Some of my favorite things are first of all the beach, you can snorkel, scuba dive, rent canoes kayaks and water bikes. In the resort they have many pools, swim up bars, a waterpark, a spa and gym. If you are a gamer and want to on your vacation this is the place to do it, I dont personally play video games but here I wish I did. There were huge flatscreens and fun chairs and couches and any game you can imagine. As for the food it is an all-inclusive resort which is so nice when you have kids, they have fancy restaurants and then they also have kid friendly fun places to eat. At night they have different things to do, they have bonfires and music, there is a night club for the kids 16 and up where you can dance and meet the other kids staying there, they have movies projected over one of the pools so you can swim and watch a movie. My favorite exsperience i had there was when I went on the day teen cruise. I left in the morning and you boat to a different island and you snorkel there, play soccer on the beach, we had a picnic and just swam around with a bunch of kids and fun young adults. I am sure I missed a lot detail and fun facts that you can do here but there is too much to tell you. As you can see with all of the information I just gave you it is a really great place and I would go back any time. There are things to do for everyone; all you have to do is just book your stay!

Hallo from Berlin!

           Hello again! Before I start to tell you about my first stop I need to fill you in on why this place is so special to me. My freshman year in high school was definitely a year I won’t forget. During my first volleyball try out I noticed there was some girls I had never seen before, they were foreign exchange students from Germany. I started to talk to them and made a connection instantly. Little did I know one of them would end up being my big sister! In December Ana Waack moved in with my family for the rest of her stay in the US. We were inseparable, and always were together. When she had to go back to Germany it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but before she left we both promised I would come see her family and she would come back my senior year.

Last summer I got to go to Berlin Germany and see Ana. We went almost everywhere in Berlin, my favorite site was the Brandenburg Gate, it has really cool sculptures and a very Roman feel almost. Belin also has a tower called the Funkturm and it is the Berlin Eiffel Tower.  If you love history then Checkpoint Charlie is a must see, it was really cool for me but I am more of a look at it and go kind of girl and my dad is the history nut who has to read every word on all of the signs. As for the night scene in Berlin it was a lot of fun, we would go clubbing, go to movie theaters, there was a lot of fun restaurants and just walking around in the big city at night is a blast because of all the neon lights and big TV screens on the street. I was also able to go to a Berlin futbol game (soccer for us Americans) in the Olympic Stadium which was unreal; It made our fans look well behaved. Saving the best for last is the shopping, which German people I believe have the greatest style, who doesn’t love skinny jeans and scarfs. There is about a mall on every corner and little shops all along in the middle of Berlin. I would go back to Germany any day I loved it there, my favorite meal was Currywurst and I loved all of the shopping. As for me and Ana she kept her promis and will be coming home in less than a month! Thanks for coming along on our first stop, see you next week!

First Stop: My Home

Hello everyone :) this is going to be our first stop. I think if I am going around the world in 14 weeks I better start in my home the United States. I live in South Dakota which is in the Midwest. It is a smaller town but I love it. There are a lot of fun places to see in South Dakota; Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Badlands and the Black Hills are just a few. As of the whole country my favorite place I have been is Cocoa Beach, Florida. I personally am a fan of warm sunny days on the beach. If you are more of an outdoor person and love to hike, fish, and canoe you would love Steamboat, CO. It is a beautiful place, it is in the middle of the Colorado Rockies, and you come down into a valley where there are beautiful ski resorts, a river running through it and a lot of great places to see. You can be a small town girl or a girl who was rasied in the city and you will still have a place to call home here.

Introduction

This blog is going to take you around the world in 14 weeks. I will share with you the places I have been and the places I would love to visit. You can discover the many places our world has to offer us just by reading one blog each week.