Some landmarks are designed to stand out: DC’s Washington Monument, London’s Big Ben, Russia’s the Motherland Calls (a sword-wielding stone woman who reaches nearly 300 feet!). But other marvels are easy to miss if you aren’t looking for them. In contrast to its towering warrior, Russia houses the smallest public monument in the world. The tiny frog statue, named the Frog Traveler, sits [...]
My mom and I are most similar in our Irish heritage and love of reading. We recently traveled to Ireland together and soaked up not just the cloudy countryside, but also Ireland’s rich literary history, by creating our own literary Dublin walking tour. We began with the Dublin Writers Museum. In an unassuming yet charming eighteenth-century brick house in northern Dublin, we saw unique [...]
There’s something oddly comforting about seeing everyday objects scaled down to miniature size. It reminds me of the days of dollhouses and army men, when I controlled my own tiny worlds. I can only imagine the thrill of seeing Gulliver’s Gate: a tiny world of epic proportions. Since May 9, 2017, visitors to Times Square could pay to enter the 50-thousand-square-foot exhibition of [...]
While I have been in love with London for as long as I can remember, William Shakespeare did not capture my heart until ninth grade, when I first read Romeo and Juliet. Since then, my love for the Bard has only continued to grow. Then, this past March, I had the opportunity to visit the Globe Theatre—an English major’s dream! At first glance, [...]
When I was a child, I remember once accidentally letting go of a pink balloon. I was distraught that I’d lost it, but my mom told me not to worry, because the balloon would float up all the way into space! I’ve since learned this isn’t true (the air eventually escapes the balloon and it pops), but fairly soon we will be able [...]
The next time you sit down to watch a movie, close your eyes and listen. Under all the dialogue and music there’s something else—ambient noise. It could be the sounds of distant traffic for a scene set in a penthouse apartment in downtown Manhattan. Or it could be the light chirping of crickets surrounding characters camping in the woods. Now consider this—if those [...]
The first time I visited one of California’s beautiful redwood parks, I was awed by the massive trees that lined the soft dirt paths of the forest. They towered over me, reaching hundreds of feet into the air, and filled the air with their sweet, woody scent. Of all the places I’ve been to, the California Redwood National and State Parks are among [...]
My family has just begun planning a trip to Arizona, and the Grand Canyon is a must-see on the itinerary. A lesser-known feature of this geographical landmark is the town located inside the Canyon that people have inhabited for over 1,000 years. Accessibility may be limited, but visiting the most remote town in the United States seems to be well worth the eight-mile hike into the [...]
I grew up on a Caribbean island, and although St. Croix is actually a United States territory, it’s also an exotic travel destination with sandy beaches and warm weather year round. That was my norm before I moved to Boston, but because I grew up on a tropical island I usually don’t consider an island vacation my ideal travel experience. Growing up, I [...]
When I wake up on a spring morning, the first thing I notice—after the cool breeze and chirping of birds—is the rush of cars from the highway about a mile from my house. The hustle and bustle of life in the United States is evident in the ambient noise around us—and it does not go unnoticed. Based on data that was collected over [...]