JOURNALISM
Travel Around the World
Some of The Golden Legacy's Writers Best Travel Moments...
Fabiana Paolini
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Summer 2019, the best summer of my life. I travelled throughout all of Europe with my Italian grandparents. My trip was full of great adventures, amazing cuisines, and long-lasting memories.
Klaudia Litardo
I was landing in Ecuador when I open the window of the airplane and saw this amazing view. Ecuador has seven different volcanoes each of which has its representation in the country. The Chimborazo is one of the most important volcanoes in all of Latin America at 6,263 meters and is the farthest point from the center of the Earth, even ahead of Everest. I love this photo because you can see the moon together with the volcano demonstrating the beauty of nature that Ecuador has to offer.
Travel Articles
HOME COUNTRY AS A DESTINATION
- Amelia Luque
When was the last time you visited your home country? Notice how we don’t go back to our home country anymore, we visit it. We go to reconnect with our family and friends. Go back to the restaurants we used to enjoy when we lived there. We revisit beautiful sites. We become tourists to what once used to be so familiar to us. Our destination is our home.
When I moved to Miami from my home country, it felt strange and out of place. Back then, I pictured the city and thought of it as a spot where I could lay in the sun next to the beach and listen to the waves. Go shopping in these huge shopping malls that felt like mazes. Orlando and its theme parks. But now these malls are my local malls and I live 30 minutes away from that same beach. Six years ago it took two place rides and a five-hour car ride to get to Orlando. Today, in four hours I’m in Orlando. My whole life is centered in what once used to be my vacation spot.
The most bizarre thing was going to school in Doral. I remember my first day of school and how unknown the elementary school hallways felt. Now walking down those same hallways feels so familiar. When I started school, I struggled understanding the system and adapting to the language. Those first few weeks living here I was mad that I had to work on complicated math homework while being in Miami, one of the most popular tourist destinations. “The United States was like Disney to me” -Marcella Arnesen.
The past six years I’ve progressively adapted to the new environment and culture. I would say that by now I have fully acclimated to it, but our lives are constantly changing and so are we. My home country will always be special to me, beyond a beautiful destination. “Home is where the heart is” -Nicolle Folchi
SABRINA THOMPSON
Students in DSA are blessed to be living in one of the biggest and most beautiful cities in the U.S. According to the Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, approximately 24 million tourists visited Miami in 2019. Through the busy streets, loud music, savory food, and diverse culture, Miami is a top destination for people all over the world. My mother told me the day she decided to move to Miami was when she was driving through Macarthur Causeway. That one look of all the buildings at Brickell, the shimmering blue waters on both sides of the road, and the once green trees right next to the water which is now infrastructure, is the reason why she decided to move to Miami.
Miami is filled with attractions, activities, and site sceneries. However, since we have spent our whole lives in Miami we tend to forget how the city is growing and improving exponentially. Therefore, here are some sites to see in Miami:
Hidden inside Virginia Key’s North Point Park is a swing with a breathtaking view of Brickell’s skyscrapers. I personally recommend going during the week and during the morning in order to take in the view and enjoy the swing all to yourself. In order to see this spectacular sight, at Virginia Key North Point, park all the way to the mountain bike trail, walk all the way down to the beach, and make a right; there is a trail and if you follow the route it’ll lead you to the swing.
Art is all around Miami, from the Design District to Wynwood Walls and the Perez Art Museum. This brand new exhibit called Happy Go Lucky, located in Aventura. This exhibit contains trippy lights and images. This place is a great way to execute your creativity and take cute photos as well.
Furthermore, there are many restaurants in Miami with diverse and delicious food. At Nikki Jammin Bayside, La Industria provides a monster crazy salty french toast for $28, fluffy nutella pancakes and special dripping pancakes, as well as a variety of milkshakes and lattes. Not only is the food aesthetically pleasing to the eye but its taste and variety makes one crave for one more bite.
Another great place to check out is The Yellow Green Farmers Market. This place has a ton of local shops. One of the top recommended shops to go is Red Hot Vintage which provides the latest vintage finds. Vintage finds like graphic tees, vinyls, hats, and more.
On top of restaurants, Miami’s natural beauty is all around. For example, Hugh Taylor State Park. One is able to walk through the forest, beaches, and rivers. There are also a ton of activities like kayaking.
These are just some of the many places to see in Miami. For students raised in Miami, we sometimes are blind to all of the beauty around us. Miami is one of the top tourist places to visit and there’s a reason for that. The culture, food, and beaches are one of the best ways to spend a vacation and with just a 20 minute drive we can experience this as many times as we want. I recommend exploring Miami and seeing new sites just like a tourist would.
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KLAUDIA LITARDO
Divine Savior Academy has different kinds of clubs and team sports with the purpose of enriching the student body of DSA. Model UN, for example, has several trips throughout the year, but what is Model UN and what is the purpose?
Model UN is a simulation of the United Nations, where delegates work together to develop solutions for global issues. Model UN is also a club where one can develop one's abilities of public speaking, diplomacy, and group work.
Throughout the school year we have different local conferences around Florida and an international conference in New York. One of the conferences is called “KnightMun” in UCF located in Orlando, the next one is called “FIMUN” in FIU located in Miami. These conferences are structured to give entry level MUN students in practice. The major trip within Florida to the University of Florida, the conference is called “Gatormun.”
The experience started when we got on the bus. I remember that the team spent the whole six hours of traveling preparing our topics, reading information about our countries, helping each other create speeches and resolutions. When we arrived at the conference, we could experience the college campus setting and we got the opportunity to meet new people from different places across the United States. We had so much fun sharing rooms with our classmates and collaborating with each other.
The biggest conference of Model UN is in New York city which is organized by the United Nations. Our team had the opportunity to travel there last year. “I can confidently say that my experience of going to New York for the first time for a competition was probably one of if not the best experience that I’ve ever had,” said Dylan Boutros, a DSA senior. This was the first time that a group of students competed on an international level. While in New York, the student had the opportunity to watch the St. Patrick’s celebration, go to the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller ice skating rink, Magnolia Bakery, Central Park, Ellis Island, 911 Memorial, and Town Square. They also had the opportunity to make friends from all over the world. Dylan tells us that in the hotel were more than 5,000 students. Last year’s MUN trip to New York was nothing short of amazing. The team got the experience of traveling to a conference together for the first time in an airplane and they returned home with “the award for the best delegation”.
Model UN trips improve abilities of public speaking, critical thinking, and collaboration techniques. It is the best way of meeting new people, sharing time with your classmates, and having fun. “It felt like the culmination of every person’s efforts before us. It was very special, we have been trying to make this happen for a long time, so to finally be competing at the international level was incredible” shared Maria Cicala, a DSA senior.
FABIANA PAOLINI
Time travel has been a staple of science fiction novels for the past century. Time travel is commonly defined according to David Lewis’ definition: An object time travels if and only if the difference between its departure and arrival times as measured in the surrounding world does not equal the duration of the journey undergone by the object. Before the twentieth century, time travel was not a topic on demand, but it is presently an exciting and deeply investigated subject. The subject continues to pose mysterious questions and implications that are still being pondered seriously. Although most time travel plots are impossible according to the laws of science, its principles have engaged a large number of people.
These stories are made out of fantasy and imagination, yet many individuals long for wanting to go back in time. People go through different experiences in life that cause them to reminisce about the past. During these periods of reflection or regret, they might long for a time machine that they believe would make them happier. The idea of a time machine was primarily popularized by H.G. Wells in his 1895 novel The Time Machine. Some theories, most notably special and general relativity, suggest that suitable geometries might allow for traveling to the past or the future. As of right now, a time machine is a mere hypothetical thought.
Personally, if I were able to either go back in time, one of the experiences I would decide to relive would be my first day as a Freshman. Currently, as a Senior, I am focused on college applications and how to completely live in the moment for my last year, but it would be fascinating to watch how I have evolved these past four years. It definitely makes me nostalgic to see all of the maturing, all the difficult times, transferring high schools, and going in that first day completely alone, into a new world where I could not hold on to my past friends. Even though these are just memories that we often reminisce about, there is a reason why they are just memories. As for you, what memory would you desire to go back to?
VICTORIA FERNANDEZ
The holiday bells are ringing as the nation packs their bags to this year’s friends and family reunions. Time Magazine reports that in the six-week holiday window between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, US airlines are set to receive a projected 93 million or more people, exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels. With such a comeback in the travel market, what needs to be taken into account is the current state of the US economy.
Forbes reports that the inflation of an airplane ticket is five times higher than the general inflation rate. The effects of rising fuel costs and labor shortages can be seen in rising prices, the increasingly consistent flight delays, and cancellations. As seen during summer break, where the number of travelers passing through Miami International Airport jumped 13% from pre-pandemic levels, the same situation will be observed in the winter holiday scene. Thanksgiving airfares increased 25% from last year, and Christmas airfares are going to be the most expensive in five years.
It’s hard work paying for a holiday round trip of at least $600 per person. It may be a better option to go on a long drive instead. Spend more time with your family or other passengers, enjoy the view, save the noisiness and crowds and adrenaline rush that is an airport, get to know your local area and venture to nature beyond borders, map your destinations, welcome opportunities for spontaneity: everything with an emphasis on the journey. Peace for self-reflections as the year comes to a close.
Though it may be a smaller space to be in for a longer period of time, and there are additional costs such as gas and food stops, with the possibility of inclement weather that can impact the experience, road trips might just be worthy of your consideration. Here’s what DSA students have to say about their road trip experiences:
“I took a 5-day road trip from Cordova, Argentina to Peru and getting to see the landscapes was a beautiful experience I treasure. We got to stop at restaurants with distinct natural scenery and took pictures in the middle of nowhere. It was a moment of serenity.” - Amelia Luque
“We took a drive from Colorado to Arizona, blasting Nirvana music the whole way. Getting to appreciate the rocky and desert scenery was a thrilling moment I am grateful to have.” - Sabrina Thompson
“I really love my family road trips in Belize, not just because of the beautiful sceneries or my music playlists, but because of the people I get to spend quality time with. We admired mountains, jungles, forests, beaches, and cities. At one point we stopped and got fresh coconuts from a kind old lady and stopped again at a beautiful large peacock garden. The road trip experience was surreal and I came to love Belize even more.” - Dhiya Nandwani
AMELIA LUQUE
Are you an angry 16 year old who wishes they would have gotten their permit sooner? If you can identify yourself with this, then you probably feel like you are missing out on things because you don’t have the freedom that comes with driving. You wish you and your friends could meet up whenever you wanted, and go to places your parents wouldn’t drive you to because they are too far.
Although you might see this as a negative thing, let’s look at the positive: you can still independently travel around your area without having a license. The answer is public transportation. This is an option most of us don’t even consider. However, using this form of transportation not only makes you feel independent, but also teaches you new experiences.
The past two weeks I’ve taken the bus twice. The first time, I went on a bus by myself to Gainesville to visit my sister in college. I got my bus ticket online, arrived at the bus station, and got on a 9 hour bus ride to UF. Having no company from my parents made me feel very grown up and independent and showed me that I can visit my sister any time I want as long as I can pay for the bus. You can look at my experience as a way to branch out. For example, if you and your friends are dying to go on a trip together but neither of you has a license or are allowed to drive long distances, a bus ride is a great way to overcome the problem. It provides a new experience that you may like.
The other bus ride I took I wasn’t completely by myself, but I was with my friend. My friend and I really wanted to go to the beach, but neither of our parents were able to take us, so we decided to take matters into our own hands. We searched up buses from Doral to Miami beach and soon enough we were on the Miami transit at 10:20 am. Our first bus was from Downtown Doral to Biscayne Boulevard. Minutes later, the second bus picked us up at the stop, which took us to Miami Beach. The experience was great. We felt free from any parental restrictions as we walked down the beach. For the transportation, we paid $2.50 in total and it took us one hour to arrive.
Next time you are thinking about going somewhere but you can’t because you don't have a license, consider this option. You’ll feel like the main character as you look out the window and listen to “There she goes” by The La’s.
I have always found the flight at 4 in the morning, the road trip with friends or family, and even the train ride to my destination to be thrilling. Sometimes traveling is exhausting, but even as a kid I would look forward to visiting an airport more than going to whatever tropical island. And to be completely honest, I still do.
There are 3 main ways of traveling: driving, flying, and by train. Most people would choose a flight over a train any day, but traveling by train is actually nice. The nice thing about traveling by train is the scenery. Most of the time you are not near the city when traveling by train and this allows you to enjoy a bit more of what the world has to offer. Another advantage is that your parents are not driving, so no more “Don’t go to sleep! Talk to me so I can stay awake.”
Although being your mom or dad’s copilot may not sound like a fun road trip, there is more to enjoy. I love road trips, especially when going up north because the scenery is beautiful. One of my favorite things to do is to stop at a farmers market or in Georgia for some peaches. They always have the best food and fruits there. Road trips are so convenient; if you want to stop to take a picture, you can, if you want to stop for food, you can, if you want to do an excursion, you can, if you want to take a detour, you can. Time is running on your schedule, no one else’s.
But time doesn’t always run on your schedule. When you take a flight, planning your day at the airport is crucial to not missing it. My grandma always says “tenemos que estar tres horas antes del vuelo, si no vamos estar tarde!” So we’ll have a flight that is at 8 am and we will be sitting at our gate by 5:30 in the morning. The flight before us is still there…but besides the whole “be at least three hours early to the airport” thing, the rush is kind of exciting. This year a group of DSA students and myself went to Paraguay for our “Operation Go” trip. We had a connecting flight, Miami to Lima, Peru and from Lima to Ausuncion, Paraguay. I have to admit connecting flights suck but this one was especially hard. Not only did we have to find our way through an unfamiliar airport but we had to go through TSA all over again. When we finally got to our flight it was relieving but I found the whole experience to be hilarious and fun. Not to mention, to get off our flight we had to walk down the stairs and take a little bus to the inside of the airport. Seeing all the big planes up close is really cool and definitely not something many people see all the time.
People have their preferences when it comes to traveling. I personally don’t, I enjoy them all. Traveling is not about the destination, it is about the journey.