My Experience At The Niagara Falls

It had finally arrived. Moving day. I was finally leaving my home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after five short years and a sort of gloom lingered in the air. Although many teenagers would be excited to reunite with their family, friends, and childhood home, I, however, was frightened of the future. I woke up that morning and just laid there and listened to the sound of the rain pittering against the roof and windows, pattering against the surrounding forest in which I shared many memories. After what felt like centuries of just listening and reflecting, I got up and looked out the window. I looked at my neighbor's house across the field of grass which separated our houses and at the kids who had become like my siblings. I looked at the ice

The journey began, the first state we rode through was Alabama, I couldn’t see much since it was night time. All I could see was the clear night sky. No stars were shining that night. The only lights I could see were street lights, building lights, and other cars. Looking around inside the car, everyone was asleep except for my uncle since he was the one driving. I must have been asleep the whole 4 hours and 46-minute car ride through Mississippi because I don’t remember anything, same with Louisiana. Finally, when we got to Texas all I wanted to do was get out of the car, so luckily, we stopped by to eat at Cici’s. My aunt said, “To enjoy this last meal since it was the last fast food, that we would be having for a while.” After we ate, it took us about 5-hours to get to Matamoros, Mexico. That was where we had to drive through the border to get into Mexico. Once we got into Mexico, there were lines of cars everywhere from people trying to enter and leave at the same time. The lines were slowly moving, like a turtle, inch by inch. There

Just east of Slide Mountain, you will come across Matterhorn Canyon. This thirteen-mile hike is very famous because you will not find another canyon in Yosemite that compares to this one. This canyon has a small river flowing in between the walls of Matterhorn Canyon. These “walls” are scattered with rocks and meadows. Its cliffs are made out of smooth granite, which are crystallized igneous rock. Hiking up the trail to the northern boundary of Matterhorn Canyon is Matterhorn Peak. This peak is very spectacular in that you are able to ascend this peak with the right gear and it is one of the highest peaks in the Northern part of the

The plane took off and were in the air leaving the place I had only ever known. I remember when my parents told me and my two brothers that we would be moving to the United states. At the time I didn’t know where we would end up or how we were even getting there. All I knew was I would be in a totally different landscape with a lot of ethnically different people whom I have never met or seen before.

For years my fascination was to travel somewhere spectacular, some place that would show a dignified view that would make me say “wow.” Finally after waiting years, last year was the year that I had the opportunity to leave the borders of the United States and go to Canada. Specifically, Niagara Falls, getting there was a journey in itself. Once getting there, a scene of unspecified beauty appeared in my field of vision that was unexplainable with words. It was something that would stick to my mind forever. The flow of gentle water hitting the rocks, a originated mist that came from the falls hit my face, filling my face with joy.

On an early dawn in April, my mother and father woke my siblings and I up and told us to shower and put the clothes she had laid out for us on. They told us to pick our favorite toy; I chose my Mulan doll. We hurried into a taxi with three large suitcases and no idea where we were heading with such secrecy. It turns out, that would be the last time I would see my country of Birth.

Life is an accumulation of one’s experiences. It is, in many aspects, similar to a well filled with water. Those who have lived longer, sought knowledge, stayed active, and exploited their advantages have wells that are brimming to the point of overflowing. Others who are still young, lazy, impeded by circumstance, or secluded, tend to have shallow, verging on parched, wells. Before last summer, my well of experiences was leaning towards the latter, but spending time with my family and friends at Niagara Falls, Six Flags, and a Twenty One Pilots concert has deepened my spring considerably.

The very next week I was ready to experience what it’s like being in another country with different customs and culture. July 3 the day was finally here, I grabbed my suitcase and met with my grandma and we got ready for our flight. As I board the airplane, I had butterflies in my stomach. I think to myself “Wow this is really happening”. A few minutes past by and we take off. The take off was probably the greatest part of the flight, I wasn’t scared or nervous I was having so much fun. After 6-7 hours of being on a plane we finally land in Guatemala City. Leaving the airport everything gets my attention. Kids on the street playing soccer, buildings all next to each other, and color everywhere. I smell different foods from left to right, I'm amazed at everything, it's something I’ll never

The 14-hour flight felt short maybe due to the excitement or the fear of feeling alone, but as soon as I opened my eyes we had arrived. I saw my mother immediately as she came to give me a hug, she was with a man who I had not yet met, he familiarized himself with me stating himself as my mother's boyfriend Neil. Carlo left with his wife soon after and Neil drove us to my new home. We stopped over for food at an In-N-Out, my first attempt at eating at an American fast food restaurant. Hearing and seeing the faces in that restaurant sent a startling shock to my spine, sweat slowly accumulating inside the palms of my hands. We approached the lady behind the register as she asked for what we wanted to order. Her voice seemed almost unnatural to me, her hair looked seemingly blond, and her eyes were blue, features I had not before seen. When the food arrived the portions of the burger were unlike the size of those in the Philippines, strangely this to me this made the world felt as though it was larger as I compared it to the fast food I enjoyed daily back home. When we finally arrived at the house I had noticed it was already past twelve which was odd as I left the Philippines around a similar time. I was not yet tired and my mother did not want to leave me alone to sleep by myself so she set up a bed for us in the living room. It was when we laid down that a greater realization struck me as to why my aunt was crying. My aunt and cousins were gone. I do not

Walking into my kitchen, one December evening of 2014, I saw the printed itinerary for our upcoming trip. There, at the very top, in my mom’s cursive, was written “Hollywood.” Possessing a deep appreciation for travel and cities, I was thrilled to add another place to my repertoire. With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I rushed into my closet, dug up my scruffy suitcase and lugged it back to my mom. Haphazardly, I began compiling my favorite outfits, my room suddenly resembling a disaster zone. It was then, tangled up in feelings of exhilaration and chaos, that I knew I was in for an unforgettable experience, one that would stay embedded in my memory for years to come.

During the summer my girlfriend and I went to Turner Falls for 4th of July. When we arrived at Turner Falls we noticed they weren’t letting people in because it was packed. Luckily my aunt had rented a cabin by the entrance and we got to stay with them. Around 6 in the morning, they started letting more people in so I got the car and I sped to get in line. When I was speeding it was raining awfully bad. That caused Mari to get on to me because I was being “scandalous” and could have caused a wreck.

My dad and I had always lived in New York City. After 15 years of experience and the guidance of my older brother, you could say that I knew my way around town. The coffee shops with the best lattes, the highest swinging swing sets in every park, and most importantly, the buildings with the best views. You would think that after living here for so long I would get sick of seeing the view of the city every day, but it just never gets old. The best spot is at the top of my apartment building, on the far northeast corner, looking over the horizon and onto the Hudson. There was no other way of completing my day, no matter the rain, snow, or blazing heat I sat on that rooftop every night as the sun disappeared, along with the overworked New Yorkers for the night. The most interesting part is, every single night, the color of the sky is always slightly different. No sunset was ever the exact same. Anyways, as I was walking back down the stairs to my condo, 7B, I got the jitters in my stomach, I was beyond excited for tomorrow, the first day of Winter Break. My older brother, Todd, was taking me and my best friend Hannah up to Vermont to go skiing. I opened our apartment door, took a quick shower, and fell asleep with Cooper on my lap while watching Full House.

All I could think about was seeing snow for the first time, for it had never snowed in Chipiona. Once we got to the airport, I remember getting on a bus as the sun was beginning to set. At the end of our ride, we reached a colossal, gray plane with an air stair that seemed to reach the heavens. I stood there astonished, never had I seen anything so enormous in my life. However, my family members, that seemed unfazed by it, continued to grab their thing and prepare for the ride. When we reached Delaware we got into a car and went to a small town named Groton, Connecticut. From the moment we left the airport, everything was different. These tremendous trees that looked like giants were everywhere and there was so much greenery. The houses had massive yards. In Spain, houses were squished together and concrete covered everything. Summer was just ending, and the cold, windy days had begun. Everything was so strange for the first time I had experienced watching the orange and yellow leaves fall

Sitting on the plane alone, I wondered what the next three weeks would bring. The light hum of the plane’s engines seemed to go on forever and the dry stale air began to scratch the inside of my throat. My destination was The Netherlands, where the entirety of my family lives. Throughout my youth seeing my family was a rare occasion, once a year if we were lucky, but after my parents divorced, we stopped going altogether. It had been over eight years since I had last visited them and because of the many years of separation, I felt uneasy about it all. Throughout the flight I couldn’t help but to think to myself several questions like: What I might be able to learn and experience from these next three weeks? How I would feel when I would first arrive? And how different everything would be. Having been there only a

Elephant is a short story written by Polly Clark in 2006. My focus point is William and his life, which I will analyze and interpret. I will also discuss the