Teen Travel Blog

Adventures Cross Country received this essay from Jessica Aronson for our Summer of a Lifetime essay contest and we were all moved by her essay and thought you would be too!

I was a blur of color as I flailed my arms wildly in my fluorescent tie-dyed t-shirt and traditional floral sarong, attempting to follow the angelic Thai dancers. I longed to master their smooth movements and gentle twirls, but continued to stumble as my feet wove and twisted in an attempt to imitate the complicated steps. My inability to understand the beautiful dancing custom distanced me from the culture, as I felt completely lost. However, as we danced throughout the night, my perspective of our differences was transformed, allowing me to cross the bridge of cultures.

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Sarah Dutton was one of our entries for our Summer of a Lifetime essay contest and we thought her essay was definitely worth a read!  Sarah was an alumni of our 31-day blue water adventure to Tahiti, Fiji and New Zealand last summer – she actually wrote this essay for her college applications.  Good luck to you, Sarah!  We think any college would be lucky to have you!  Read on and see why we thought this essay was noteworthy…

Sarah Dutton
Common Application Essay

I was in the ocean halfway around the world with fifteen people I had known for only nine days trying to breathe underwater. What the heck was I thinking?! I had a history of panic attacks and hyperventilation problems. I had just spent three long days in a hot classroom watching cheesy videos about scuba diving. I had seen children, teenagers, and adults frolicking underwater and diving like life was one, big, happy underwater picnic. But when placed into the situation myself, infamous butterflies fluttered into my stomach.

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Always wanted to go to Europe but in a different way than traditional sightseeing?  Do we have the trip for you!  Our 28 day Southern Europe Multi-Sport adventure begins with a visit to the Parthenon and the Coliseum in Rome and kayaking around the Elba islands.  You will then backpack through the rolling hills of Tuscany to classic Italy, Cinque Terre.  From there, incredible whitewater rafting adventures in the Alps lead you to the highest peak in Europe, Mont Blonc.  Our  Southern Europe adventure will definitely leave your thirst for thrill-seeking and adrenaline quenched! Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine having to stop in the middle of the road for a family of elephants crossing your path.  Or riding in an open-air bus while gazing at lions sunbathing, giraffes snacking on the highest tree branches and hippos cooling down in the water.  Now imagine that on this very same adventure, you are helping to improve the lives of children in school, repairing classrooms and creating soccer fields for the community.  All the while, you are bonding with a group of people who will impact your life forever, as you will impact theirs. 

That’s what our Tanzania Service ARCC Alumni did last summer – they opened their hearts and their minds to the people of Tanzania and came home with stories and experiences they will not soon forget.  Check out this awesome video that documents their adventure!

Lago Atitlan is an incredible freshwater lake situated in the highlands of Guatemala and surrounded by three cone shaped volcanoes.  It is quite the picturesque scene, the water and the volcanoes, the jungle around and of course the incredible colors of the Guatemala weavings all come together for an amazing image. 

We arrived to the town of Panajachel – called Pana – and met with our local guide Pablo, who promptly took us to the local boat dock to catch a boat to the surrounding towns.  The lake has 12 little towns or villages around it and each is unique in its own right.  Read the rest of this entry »

Ellery & Brian are now in Guatemala, scouting a 2010 adventure!  Here is an update we received from Brian yesterday:

Hola from Guatemala!  Ellery and arrived yesterday after a long but pleasant journey.  The flight was a red-eye and we woke to the dawn breaking over a picturesque landscape below.  The Gulf coastline was flat and marshy here, the ocean invading to form lagoons.  As we flew further inland, the coastal flatlands gave way to steadily rising hills, reminiscent of Hawaii in both their steepness and vibrant foliage.  Eventually the hills showed their true origin, as volcanic peaks appeared, cresting the ridgeline.  There were several calderas, collapsed craters that had filled with murky wáter.  We even saw one that must have erupted in the recent past, as the forest below was drowned in its now-cooled lava, bare except for a few adventerous plant colonists, its cráter adorned only with a few wisps of cloud.  Read the rest of this entry »

“The camels are not cooperating…there will be a delay.”  Those were the somewhat nerve racking words we heard as we were waiting for our camels to transport us to a Bedouin camp for a traditional desert meal.  Seems they were being a bit ornery and needed a little extra prodding to start their journey.  We finally climbed aboard the creatures and headed out of town into a desert canyon.  Riding was surprisingly easy….cross one leg in front of you around the horn and control the camel much like a horse, relax in the saddle and sway along with its hypnotic gate. Read the rest of this entry »

After a great visit to the city of Luxor, a much quieter version of Cairo with broad boulevards, a beautiful walkway along the Nile River and the staggeringly huge Karnak Temple, Zach and I flew to Sharm El-Sheik, perched at the southern tip of the rugged and mountainous Sinai Peninsula.  Flying in over the Red Sea, we could see miles and miles of turquoise blue waters, perfect for SCUBA diving.  It is easy to see why the Red Sea is reputed to be one of the best diving locations in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Check out the latest photos from Scott and Zach from their scouting adventure in Egypt.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127358&id=48114747508&saved#/album.php?aid=127358&id=48114747508&ref=mf

Street crossing is an Olympic sport here.  Crosswalks are pretty much nonexistent, so it is not unusual to see people walking across 6-8 lanes of speeding traffic.  Imagine standing on the lane lines on an interstate highway while cars whoosh by at 60mph on either side of you and you’ll get a sense of what it is like to cross the street in Cairo.  It basically becomes a game of chicken:  can/van/truck vs. pedestrian.  Obviously a vehicle wins, but there is big trouble for the driver if a car hits a citizen so things have struck a nice balance.  To cross the street, we’ve found it best to tuck behind a local and do exactly what they do…works like a dream.

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