Traveling is one of the most important things in my life. I have always had an adventurous soul and a need to experience new places and people. My mom works in the travel industry so I have the privilege to be able to go to a lot of cool places. I wanted to create a place where I can compile pictures and stories from my experiences traveling. Think of this as my digital scrapbook if you will.
Cuba- January 2019
Over New Year’s my family and I took a cruise to the amazing Havana, Cuba. This was such a cool trip. Cuba has so much culture and is very authentic. Many islands in the Caribbean have become “touristy” or Americanized but Cuba works hard to keep their country theirs- AKA no McDonald’s or any American businesses.
We did a classic car tour of Havana, walked around the city, and went to the famous Tropicana Night Club. I think the highlight of the trip for me was getting to dance on stage with the Tropicana dancers at the end of their show.
What made this trip so unique was really getting to learn about Cuba. My dad made a post about it and said, “The one thing that was so cool was hearing things from the Cuban perspective. Each of us sees things through a “lens” which is formed by our upbringing, our experiences, our education, etc. Going there and hearing how they see things through their lens is something that would bring light, thought and an open mind to what we see and hear. The Cuban people are proud of their country and they do love Fidel. When you listen to their history from their perspective you begin to start questioning anything you’ve been told.”
Vegas/Utah- June 2018
My mom had a work conference in Vegas so my dad and I flew out to meet her. I’m not 21 so there was not a lot to do in the area. We lounged by the pool, explored the city a little and jumped off of the Stratosphere building at night.
Then we headed over to Utah for some hiking. People do not give Utah enough credit for its beauty. When my mom told me we were going to Utah I did not expect it to be as breathtaking as it was. Honestly, it was one of the more incredibly beautiful places I have been to.
Hawaii-March 2018
Hawaii is the absolute most beautiful place I have ever been to. I cannot even put into words how gorgeous it is. This trip was the best trip I have ever been on. We went to Maui first where we went whale watching, explored the Road to Hana, watched the sunset from Haleakala Crater and enjoyed the town of Lahaina. Maui holds such a special place in my heart. The island is so relaxing but there is so much room for adventure. The highlight of this trip was probably the day we did Road to Hana because we got to experience so many beautiful sites, interesting people, and unique places.
We then spent a couple of days in Honolulu. Honolulu is so different than Maui. It is like Chicago on a beach. While we were here, we hiked Diamond Head, visited Pearl Harbor and learned how to surf! The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor was closed a couple months after we went so we are so lucky we got to experience it.
Italy and Greece- July 2017
Instead of a graduation party when I graduated high school, I got to pick where I wanted to go on a trip. Italy and Greece had always been my dream trip and my parents made it happen!
Ponza
We spent the first few days of our trip in Ponza, Italy. Ponza is a little island off the southwest coast of Italy. My mom’s best friend(who was traveling with us)’s family is from the island. It is not touristy at all and was such a gorgeous place.
Rome
After Ponza, we spent one day exploring all of the highlights of Rome. We went to all the tourist spots including Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Colosseum, and the Spanish Steps.
Greece
We ended this trip with a cruise to Greece. Doing a cruise was a great way to see the different islands and experience the unique culture of each of them. We went to Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos.
Katie Prebelich 