Travel Blog

When I was on the plane, I thought about everything: memories, friends, family, and life; I was happy, depressed, and surprised all at the same time. To tell the truth, I didn’t know specifically what I felt. For me, this was not a family trip. It was not a trip with friends. It was just a trip by myself, with nobody else.

 

      The Airport

The airport was full of people and luggage. During those moments, my brain was full of questions; the worst was, “Why did I decided to do this? Why?”  Everywhere I looked, I saw families, brothers,sisters, and parents all together. They were excited for their trip. They were happy. And what about me? I felt alone and lost in a country that wasn’t mine, and I was without my family. I was in different countries, with different languages, but experiencing the same feelings. Everyone asked me the same thing: “Aren’t you afraid?”

 New York City

“Wow” is the only word that is in your head when you see New York City for the first time. Seriously, I can’t describe my feelings. I felt so small. Everything seemed small, but I was smaller. New York is exactly the same town that we saw in the movies; there were people everywhere, smog, traffic, taxis, noises and lights. The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel was an amazing place. I walked out the door, turned right, and was standing in Times Square. Not a picture. Not a video. It was me. It was Times square. It was real life. As I walked in Times Square, I was without words. I took the subway and headed to Liberty Island. It was incredible. When I saw that statue, I was in another planet. It was big, the color was amazing, and despite the clouds, I had an awesome sight. After this, I went to Wall Street and Ground Zero. A silent place; a sad place. Someone was crying, someone was looking at the pools, and someone was thinking. I got goose bumps. The only thing I heard was the sound of the water, nothing else. During the night I went on the top of the Empire State Building, and saw all of New York City. It was amazing. Something particularly noticable about the city was the lights; really, you couldn’t tell if it was night or day because the streets and buildings were always the same color. The next day, I had breakfast at the Hard Rock Cafè, and went shopping.

 Philly and D.C.

I took the bus, and went to Philadelphia where I visited the center of the city. After this, I took a bus to Washington D.C. I spent the days between museums and parks. It was amazing. I felt like I was on the set of Night at the Museum. I went to the Arlington National Cemetery, and saw the Iwo Jima Memorial. The best place was the Lincoln Memorial. I loved it. The statue, the reflecting pool, the World War II memorial – I can’t forget this experience. I spent time in theatres, Italian restaurant, and in Capitol Hill.

 

Now, as I walk into St. Francis High School, I read a picture that says, “character takes courage.” It requires doing what’s right – not what’s easy or popular. So, I’m here for my dreams, and I’m here to discover,  just that.