December 2019 My soul sister and travel buddy, Schyler, had been living in London for a few years, and my dear friends Olivia, Emily, and I finally made the trip to visit her. I’d been to London briefly as a middle-school student ambassador, but never during the holiday season—and I’d heard the city sparkles like nowhere else at Christmas. We flew from Dulles to Heathrow, where Schyler picked us up, and hopped on the Tube to her cozy apartment in Putney, shared with her sweet

December 2012 Annual Christmas Family Vacation  — my second-ever cruise, first warm and tropical one — and it did not disappoint in the slightest. We boarded our floating metropolis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, full of anticipation and excitement. Our first stop was Princess Cays, Bahamas. The sun blazed in a sky so blue it almost hurt to look at, and the warm breeze carried the scent of salt and adventure. We spent the day exploring, lounging on the pristine beaches, goofing

December 2011 It was our annual Christmas vacation—tropical, just the way we like it. My family (Mom, Timmy, then-stepdad, TK, Grandma, and my cousin Andrew) spent a week in the Bahamas, and it unfolded like a dreamy, relaxing escape. Most days were spent lounging by the pool or riding waterpark slides—one of which went right through a shark tank, thrilling and terrifying all at once. We stayed at a nearby hotel but explored the Atlantis Resort extensively—casinos, restaurant

December 2017 My family—Grandma, Mom, my brother—and I were supposed to fly into Ft. Lauderdale to board our cruise, but Mother Nature had other plans. Flights were canceled, so we hopped in the car in Virginia late at night, snacks in tow, and drove straight through. We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on a gorgeous, sunny day and boarded the ship without a hitch. First stop: Princess Cay, Bahamas. A day of lounging on white sand and swimming in crystal-blue waters quickly turned i

December 2013 & Summer 2014 December 2013:  I loved Hawai’i so much the first time that I went back just six months later. My family and I stayed on Kaua’i, the northernmost island, over Christmas break. We rented a car, which is the easiest way to explore the island in a week, and stayed in a gorgeous resort near Lihue. One highlight was Waimea River, where we took a boat cruise and hiked to a waterfall that opened into a grotto. Surrounded by tropical flowers, mist, and wil