Travel
Travel as a Priority
Growing up I went to a Waldorf school. The Waldorf curriculum follows stories throughout the world with different countries and cultures. My family has always made it a priority to see the world, and a great way to do that was by following the Waldorf curriculum through the different countries every year.
Japan
Because my mom is from Japan, I have traveled there numerous times. I’ve had the opportunity to visit various places in Japan as well, such as Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and Kyoto. Getting to learn about my family’s cultural history is so interesting and I’m so glad I have gotten the opportunity so many times.
About this Photo: This is a park in Komagome where my grandmother used to play as a little girl.
About this Photo: This is my grandmother and I in Miyajima in front of the floating torii gate.
About this Photo: Me standing in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, Japan.
Canada
The summer before my senior year, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Canada at the University of British Columbia’s Future Global Leadership program. Although I am a Canadian citizen, I was raised in southern California and hadn’t spent an extended amount of time there.
About this Photo: My grandmother and I enjoying the beautiful views from Stanley Park in Vancouver.
About this Photo: Waiting for the ferry to go from Vancouver to Victoria Island.
About this Photo: I stayed in the UBC dormitories for two weeks to attend the Future Global Leader Program.
About this Photo: An incredible life-changing safari experience where I saw elephants, white lions, cape buffalo, rhinos, hyenas, hippos, cheetahs, zebras, and even a giraffe giving birth.
South Africa
I visited South Africa for the first time on a service trip in the winter of 2022. Although my dad is from South Africa I had never had the opportunity to visit before. This trip was one of the most impactful trips I have ever been on. Getting to spend a month in South Africa without my parents taught me a lot about such a vastly different culture and also about myself. I got to see different sides of South Africa but the most meaningful part for me was getting to surprise young foster kids living in the townships with Christmas presents. I also got to see the kind of natural beauty that only exists in that part of the world. Seeing wild animals in their natural habitats on a safari is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I will never forget this incredible trip.
France
I went to France in 2022 with my two best friends. This was my first international trip after the Covid-19 shut down and I was so happy to be traveling again. Since this was my first real trip as an older teen, I learned a lot about how to be independent and navigate a different culture and language.
About this Photo: My friends and I at Chateau Miraval in Côte d'Azur.
About this Photo: My friends and I in the coastal town of St. Tropez.
Spain
I went to Spain in 2018 with my parents and my cousins. On this trip I learned about Spanish bullfighting, old Spain, Spanish food and Spanish architecture.
About this Photo: My cousins and I explored the gothic architecture present throughout many of Spain’s historic cathedrals.
New Zealand
I went to New Zealand in 2019 with my parents, my grandmother, and great-aunt and uncle. This trip was such a different experience compared to the other places I’ve been before.
About this Photo: A tree canopy walk in a prehistoric native forest in Rotorua outside of Auckland, New Zealand.
About this Photo: Exploring the fjords on Milford Sound with my great-uncle in Piopiotahi, New Zealand.
About this Photo: Horseback riding in Cardrona Valley outside of Queenstown, New Zealand.
Italy
I had the opportunity to travel to Italy in 2018. The main purpose of our trip was for an intensive music program to which my cousins and I had been accepted; but since we were there for a month we decided to explore the country. Since Italy had always been a bucket list place for me, learning about it in school was one of my favorite assignments. While I was there, I learned about ancient Roman architecture, Italian history, culture, and food.
About this Photo: Mercati di Traiano in Rome, Italy was particularly interesting because I did a report on it at school the previous year.
About this Photo: Cooling off at a community water fountain on a street in Florence.
Iceland & Norway
I loved learning about Norse mythology and the Vikings, so when I found out I was going to Norway and Iceland I was so excited. All the stories that I learned about Norway and Iceland came to life once I got there in the beautiful nature, the mountains and the fjords. I got to expand upon my current knowledge of Norway by getting to see all the places that I had previously learned about in school.
About this Photo: We went to The National Museum in Oslo, Norway and saw Edvard Munch’s very famous painting ‘The Scream’.
About this Photo: My family standing between two continental plates in Thingvellir National Park in Iceland, the only place in the world you can do this.
About this Photo: This is my grandmother and me in Bryggen, also known as ‘the heart of the fjords’.
About this Photo: My parents and I visited the viking exhibit at the National Museum of Iceland.
About this Photo: The natural landscape in Norway is truly breathtaking every which way you look.
About this Photo: Taking a dip in the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa in the middle of a lava field in Iceland.