Erin

I cannot imagine living my life without seeing the spiritually awesome and somehow magical Machu Picchu. But, then again, Peru can offer so much more than that. I can see the beautiful Amazon from a different perspective. I can surf the Pacific waves, raft the Urubamba, and hike in the Andes. I can meet the locals in the villages and in the cities and get to know the unique culture of the Peruvian people. These, among many other reasons, are my hopes for my trip to Peru.

I need to see the diverse and beautiful animals on the Galapagos in their natural habitats, to get up close to sea lions and tortoises. I want to see the Quechua way of life, to bask in the bright colors and the glorious sounds of the locals. I want to play soccer with the local children, haggle in markets, and party it up in Quito.

I am in love with Argentines. Their near-Italian take on the Spanish language is just beautiful. The cuisine is rich, warm, and hearty. The tango is sensual and sultry and glamorous. There is absolutely nothing at all that I dislike about Argentina, which is why I so need to live there.

The mountain scenery is just gorgeous, but from the highway, you’d never know it. Charlotte is a wonderful city, but becomes a million times more so at night. Durham has a bad rap, but take a walk down Ninth Street, near Duke University, and you’ll see how quaint a college town it can be. Chapel Hill really does live up to its reputation as artistic and beautiful, but did you know it can also be an athlete’s paradise, with tons of rock climbing and bike trails traversing the city every which way? In order to truly experience all that North Carolina has to offer, you have to explore a little.

Is the traffic in Richmond always awful? Every time I’ve driven through there, I’ve invariably gotten stuck near downtown Richmond for hours and hours. I hardly think the (quaint) scenery along the way compensates for so many 6 hour dead stops.

I always lived so close to Washington, DC, but rarely got the chance to do the “touristy things” that define a trip to the city. It’s been years since I toured the monuments, sat by the reflecting pool, and bought flowers from a cart at the Mall, and I haven’t gotten the chance to see my old home since. Still, of what I can remember, Washington is a wonderful city, much greener than New York or Chicago, but with just as much life and vitality.

Although I only knew her for seven years, Maryland, and Annapolis specifically, holds my very fondest childhood memories. I can remember the hundreds of sailboats always docked in the marinas, the fast-moving water taxis, and the beautiful buildings of the naval academy. Annapolis inspired my love for the wind and the water, and for that I am forever grateful.

Although Pittsburgh, in my opinion, doesn’t offer the big-city attractions that Philadelphia does, it does have a different sort of allure. The nightlife is a bit lacking, but it makes up for all of that with its striking scenery, its hills and rivers, and its beautiful bridges. It’s a nice place for families, where Kennywood, Hershey Park, and the Pittsburgh Zoo are but a short drive away, but the fact that most of my family lives in the area is what really makes Pittsburgh one of my favorite places.

I moved to Orange Beach in June, after I decided to spend the summer living with my dad while he worked on starting up his restaurant (Fishtales, quite nice, at the Wharf). The beach really is one of the nicest Gulf beaches I’ve been to, and the weather is beautiful. There’s a ton of great seafood, and a huge outlet mall only several minutes away. However, despite all of these attractions (and there are many, since it’s quite touristy), once one has lived there for a month or so, it begins to get a bit old. Still, I’d recommend anyone to spend a week or so there.

As much as I want to think of Georgia as a humid, boring wasteland, it is my home, and because of it, I am a different person. I have lived here almost 10 years, have traveled every inch of it, and have still more to see. With such a variety of places to see (from the Appalachians in the north to historic Savannah to Jeckyll Island off the coast) Georgia has something for everyone—even the seasoned traveler.