Journal 10

After writing about traveling this semester, I am much more interested in writing about this topic than I was before. It really gave me a chance to write about my personal experiences and desires to explore, as well as give readers insight into different places they may not have known about. This blog has really motivated me to get deeper in the subject matter through my career.  As I have been writing I have noticed that there many things that my blog does well, and I have realized I want to expand on this topic of traveling and take it in two directions.

For one I would like to expand on travel marketing. I think I do a great job of explaining why a destination is ideal, and selling each destination by including exciting ways to interact while visiting. I think that when marketing to a group of people it is important to be relatable. One of my strongest points in this blog is that I am relatable. I include pictures of my travels and videos I have taken in order for the reader to trust me and become comfortable with my judgment. Another way I would like to expand on this topic is traveling is through politics. As earlier stated in this blog,  I have an extremely strong interest in political structures and current political events. I would really like to combine my love of politics with my love of travel and create a new way of exploring the world. I think that the different political systems and the different political events that are occurring would be an interesting way for people to become intrigued by a destination, and realize the differences around the world. 

Journal 9

A place that I’ve always had the desire to visit is Iceland. From all the pictures I’ve seen and everything I’ve heard about the country makes me so intrigued and interested in exploring their culture and attractions. Since I visit my relatives in France every summer, my goal in the next couple of years is to fly from France to Iceland and spend about week there. The flight time between Reyjavik, Iceland and Paris, France is about three and a half hours which considerably speaking is not too bad. While in Iceland there are many destinations I would love to see, but I have had this have growing urge to see the Blue Lagoon for a long time. I have heard so much about it but I really want to experience it for myself…and relax there of course.

            The Blue Lagoon was formed after the establishment of a geothermal power plant extremely close to the lagoon. People started bathing in that lagoon and started noticing that the effects of the water were making significantly great effects on their skin. After that, the first official public bathing facility was opened and centers for psoriasis patients were created. Since then, the Blue Lagoon has been innovating the experience and creating more skin care options. Blue Lagoon has become one of the biggest attractions in Iceland and is widely spoken about. I think it’s so cool how a lagoon near a power plant has resulted in one of the most relaxing sites in the world. The pictures I’ve seen of it are absolutely stunning and I’m just really curious as to how the water actually feels. I know for sure I’ll highly enjoy the leisure attractions found here, as well as educating myself more on the fascination of the lagoon.

Photo Credits to airpano.com

Journal 8

 

 

                I was lucky enough to visit London, England two winters ago with my family. We were only there for four days and I totally recommend staying there for at least 5 or 6 days to really enjoy the tourist sites and all of the wonderful things there are to do. During my time in England though, I got a good a pretty good look at some of the cool locations and the different culture. If I had to describe London in one word, I would call it quaint. The buildings, the taxis, the buses all contribute to an old-fashioned atmosphere.  I loved going to the pub and having bangers and mash, a specialty of England.

                One of the coolest places in England was Picadilly Square. Picadilly Square is a lively place with restaurants, movie theaters, street performers, a street fair, and so much more. All of the buildings were lit up and the tone was so lively and fun. I had a great time on the ferris wheel with my family and really enjoyed a Guinness at the nearby Pub (the drinking age is 18!) I also loved looking at some of the sights that England is known for. We took one of those red double decker bus tours and got to see all of the top fascinations of England. We went to the Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, which I don’t even have the words to describe. Buckingham Palace was one of the Queen of England’s actual living spaces, but it was closed at the time we went to visit so we only got to see the outside. We also visited the London Towers which holds the crown jewels. I’ve never been so mesmerized before in my life. The cool thing about the crown jewels is that it is actual pieces of jewelry that the royal family still wears. They showcased not only the object (such as the crown) but the case that is used to transport it.  

 

My little sister and I in front of Buckingham Palace.

Journal 7

                One place I’ve always wanted to visit is Australia. When I was in first grade, my dad promised me that when I graduated from high school we would take a trip there together, but then the recession hit and we’ve put it off until I graduate from college (fingers crossed). I don’t know exactly how my interest in going to Australia actually started, especially since I was only about 7 years old when I made it my mission to get there, but I think as I grew up it’s my fascination of all the awesome things there are to do there just kept growing. Out of all the cool places on my list, the two of the top places I want to visit in Australia are the Sydney Opera House and Great Barrier Reef.

                The Sydney Opera House is probably the most recognizable structure in Australia. Not only is the outer structure of the building jaw dropping, but the talent seen inside of the building is as well. As a dancer and someone who has been deeply involved in all aspects of the arts for years now, it is astonishing to see that over 1,500 performances are held there each year. As each year passes, recognition for the arts worldwide dwindles. It is really amazing to me that such an important structure works to represent the importance of the arts. The Opera House is home to the Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Theatre Company, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. When I visit Australia you can make certain that I will be in attendance to see performances by all of these companies.

                Another cool site in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is highly impressive, as it is the largest living structure on earth. It is so big it can be seen from outer space and is approximately 70 million football fields! I think that’s absolutely insane. I’ve always been attracted to the Great Barrier Reef, mainly because I’m deeply in love with the ocean and anything involving marine life. I’m very excited to visit here, partially due to the 1625 different types of fish that live there and the 3000 different and beautiful types of coral reefs.

photo credits to worldtravelguide.net

photo credits to sevennaturalwonders.org

Journal 6

As I have already mentioned in this blog, I am most passionate about traveling, fashion and music.  I have not mentioned though, my strong desire for politics. I am currently double majoring in Political Science as well as EWM, so combining these two would be absolutely ideal. Realistically speaking, any written outlet relating to these topics would be of essence for my portfolio as well as my profession. I have high aspirations as an editor/writer and I would hope any outlet would appreciate my efforts. Since I am discussing traveling in this blog, I think it would make the most sense to focus my portfolio in this class around it as well.  There are so many potential employers in this field that I would be delighted to work for, but I have narrowed it down to three that relate extremely well to my blog.

The first would be The Travel Magazine for many different reasons. I think they carry a wide range of travel details ranging from transportation to a wide description of destinations for almost any type of traveler. My blog and eventually my portfolio would be extremely relevant to them because it focuses on the audience of both a young and grown adult, as well as give historical background and an accurate depiction of the place I am discussing.

http://www.thetravelmagazine.net/

I also would love to work for the New York Times. What’s cool about the New York Times is that it is very strong on opinions and personal experiences, especially in the travel section. I think that my blog/portfolio would appear ideal to them as an employer because I do give my insight and I do address controversial issues as well as relate it to my personal times I have spent visiting these locations.
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/travel/index.html

Last but not least, I would be extremely delighted and ecstatic to work for CNN. I spend hours upon hours on CNN’s website looking at articles and I am always extremely amazed by how well they appeal to almost any audience, with any interest. The travel section of CNN would probably be the lightest in content. It is always a pleasurable read, helping you to learn more about a place or explore it through the eyes of someone else. I believe that they would enjoy my work, considering that it is a lot like what is found in the travel section. I think it is a light read, providing the interesting facts, keeping people entertained, and appealing to a variety of people. It’s descriptive in length but short enough to keep people interested.

http://www.cnn.com/travel

Journal 5

My absolute favorite place I’ve ever visited is Paris, France. All of my family lives in Paris so I’ve experienced it as a tourist and as a local. I love that Paris is filled with so much history and beauty. My favorite part about Paris is the Eiffel Tower. At night time the Eiffel Tower lights up and glitters for about five minutes, every hour on the hour. I always tell people that sitting and watching the Eiffel Tower light up with a nutella crepe in one hand is my happy place.

The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Fair of 1889 by Gustave Eiffel. Today it is known as one of the beautiful structures in the world, but back when it was built many of the Paris inhabitants thought of it as an eyesore. This was a huge controversy, and still continues to be a topic of controversy today. At the time people complained that it was structurally unsound, and said that it didn’t fit in with the architecture of the rest of the city. The Eiffel Tower was much more contemporary in design, while the rest of the city was still supporting architecture that was built one hundred years earlier.

Today people still deliberate on whether or not the Eiffel Tower blends in with the rest of the city. A lot of time people will say it sticks out like a sore thumb in a city of such dainty structure. Personally, I think the Eiffel Tower is a wonderful addition to the city. It may be different in design than the rest of Paris, but I think it provides diversity. I think it helps the city exemplify such old and rustic style, as well as simply a technological and modern segment.

 

Journal 4

Unless you are traveling for business, you are traveling to explore. Whether you’re there for a relaxing vacation or for high intensity tourist trip, you are taking an adventure through the environment and the culture of a certain place. Within some of these environments, you can find stories of establishment, of excitement, and even of fear. The history of these environments is what has shaped these environments to what we enjoy. These places are filled with landmarks dating back to ancient and medieval times, or even to revolutionary moments thirty years ago. These structures unite us with the identity of an area and give us the opportunity to preserve it for future generations.

            The point of this blog is to discuss the places I want to visit, and the places I have visited. I have a lot of places I want to visit, and this summer my goal is to make it to Italy. Other than the burning desire to fully immerse myself in the mouth-watering cuisine (pizza, spaghetti, and gelato are three of my favorite foods), the historical landmarks that are found in Italy are SPECTACULAR. There’s the Colosseum, the Vaticant, and my favorite: The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

            The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built in the 10^th century, and is quite largely recognized all over the world as one of the symbolic measures of Italy. It is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the medieval world and was imperfect since the beginning. Construction started in 1173 AD and was leaning to the northwest since the moment it was finished being constructed, due to weak foundation and unstable soil. Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa significant you may ask? Well… it is an 183 feet tall building that his stood for about 11 centuries, it stood tilting at 5.5 degrees at one point, and was saved. It brings about curiosity. A major question I ask is: why hasn’t it fallen? This building was simply meant to be a bell tower of the city of Pisa’s cathedral, yet it has turned into a significant landmark. It is remarkable and a baffling part of history that is sincerely mind blowing. I cannot wait to explore it for myself this summer.

Leaning Tower of Pisa
Photo Credits to Mike's Travel Guide