Here are some pictures of my trip from Panama! It was a beautiful, but very hot, vacation. We stayed on Playa Blanca. That's very ironic, being that the sand wasn't even white! My mom is from Panama, so we do visit a lot. 

Grand Cayman

This summer I went to Grand Cayman; here are some pics! It was such a beautiful island. I guess you could say swimming with the stingrays was not the highlight of my vacation.....

These are just some pictures of my trip to South Carolina. Enjoy :)

Cabin in the Woods: Smoky Mountains 2013

Hey everyone! These are just some pictures I took in the Smoky Mountains this summer. Even though it was pretty rainy most of the time, we did get a few days of sun which made our vacation totally worth it!

View from our cabin

Our cabin!

One of the waterfalls we saw while hiking

Rainbow over the mountains

The mountains!

...more mountains

Another waterfall!

Fontana Lake...perfect for boating/swimming/jet-skiing

Old bridge over the lake

The Truth About Vacations!

Every single year without fail, teens are asked "Where did you go this summer?” Many can answer with stories of cool and exotic places abroad, or even vacations in states across the U.S. But, not all teens are as lucky. Some are cooped up at home all summer, and some take vacations that they feel are not brag worthy. Amid everyone's stories of their summer adventures, it is important to remember what matters most.

Summer vacations overseas or in unique cities across the U.S. may be out of reach, so it is important to remember the true meaning of a vacation. No matter where you travel to, vacations are meant to create bonds and bring people closer together. You don't always have to travel thousands of miles away to have a real vacation. Sometimes the best made memories amongst a family can be made just an hour away, or even right at home.

So, when you go back to school this year, don't worry if your travel adventures don't stack up to those of your classmates. Instead, focus on the memories you made with your family and how they brought you closer together!

Summer 2013: The Windy City

I just wanted to share some photos I took on my vacation to Chicago! Extremely beautiful, but extremely cold city :-)

Repetitive Family Vacations

My family goes on the same vacation every year. Every single year, more than once sometimes. We almost never go anywhere else. We go to Hammock Beach Resort, a beautiful private resort in Palm Coast, Florida, but after a couple times, you get kind of bored.

Yet, this time we did something different. My parents rented a little speed boat, big enough for the five of us, and got a tube for the back of the boat. I was so nervous. I really was. Tubing looked like so much fun until the boat began to slip away from shore. It took me forever to get onto the tube, and then the anxiety built as the boat got further and further away. I was the first to try out the tube, and I knew I was going to fly off.

I didn't fall off, but my family did catch a three minute video of my nonstop screaming. They had gunned the boat and sent my through choppy waves. It was super scary, yet also so amazing. Almost everyone gave it a go. Afterwards, we spent the rest of the day on the boat relaxing. It was super fun.

Although it was the same old trip, my family tried something new, and it was super fun. For those people who are stuck on old trips, look at them as either time to relax or get closer to your family. Or maybe just try something new in the same place. You never know what can happen! My trip turned out fun, and yours could too.

Still Kickin' it in Kingston

Took an interesting, informative tour of Devon House today.

It's quite an historical site. "This chandelier is over 160 years old" "That clock doesn't work anymore but it's over 100 years old" "This sofa is over 100 years old" etc, etc.

I enjoyed learning about life in centuries gone by; 

it was amusing to hear about what upper-class people did in those days. 

For example, the orange sofabed in the photo above is actually a fainting chair! 

There was need for a fainting chair because ladies wore constricting corsets.

More photos below.

piano in the ballroom

very old chandelier on the ballroom ceiling

an actual corner chair, see how it is shaped for the corner

cool checkerboard floor

The lawns are spacious and a nice place to hang out

Jamaica 50 decorations still up in the courtyard

It's a huge house with much more than I photographed (and the grounds on the property are free to explore). Certainly a beautiful place that I needed to check off of my to-do-in-jamaica list.