Lets Take a Trip                               Down memory lane...

Places I Have Been

1.  Australia-  I have had the opportunity to visit Australia a total of 4 times so far.  The first was for a week when I was getting ready to start 7th grade.  I had a lot of fun and fell in love with the country.  The second time was when I was a freshman in highschool, with my a step-sister and mom but the trip would have been better with out them.  They were not accustomed to the way we travel.  The third time I was a junior in highschool.  The last and most recent time was August of 98.      I visited many places on my trips to Australia.  We went to Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, Sydney, The Great Barrier Reef, The Gold Coast and many other places.  The best trip of all was the trip I took this last August (98).  This trip was dedicated to the Northern Territory.  We flew into Darwin, and proceded to drive south and see every thing we wanted to that was on our way to Alice Springs and Ayres Rock.  Check out the links to see what I saw, and maybe, what I missed.

For Pictures of Alice Springs the jumping off point to Ayres Rock.

Melbourne

Gold Coast

Sydney For a touch and go map of Australia

The Great Ocean Road Don't miss this if  you love beautiful coastline.

2. England- I went to England with my father on our first family vacation without my grandmother in August of 1996.  She used to be the one who organized everything but now it is up to my me and my dad.  This vacation was enjoyable but not very well organized.  We had ten days in England and we spent most of it in London, within 5 miles of our hotel.  We did go to Stonehenge, Maiden Castle and we also saw Silbury Hill.  It was a good trip but if we had been better organized and motivated it would have been a lot better.  I thougth alot about Lee, my pen-pal, while I was there, but I did not see him or get in contact with him because we had lost contact during that time.  I found out later that he was on a cruiseship traveling all around the world as the cruiseship photographer.  But we re-established contact in Feb. of 1997.  So I am looking forward to the next time I go to England because I will be sure to see Lee.

Stonehenge ------------ Maiden Castle ------------- General Info on England

3.  New Zealand- My trips to New Zealand were always side trips from Australia.  I have been there twice so far.  The first time was for a week and we rented a car and drove from the top of the north island to the tip of the south island.  On the way we saw many beautiful things.  The second trip was only on the north island.  I have seen Rotarura and Lake Topal, two of the major glaciers in New Zealand that are on the south island.  I can't forget to mention that I have seen many sheep.  bah bah bah bah

4.Belgium-I went to Belgium during the summer of my junior year in high school.  I was part of an exchange program.  I stayed with a family whose daughter stayed with my dad and I for two weeks during April.  I went there during late June and early July.  I turned 17 in Belgium.  I went to Paris for a day but did not get to see all that you should see.  While in Belgium, we did alot of shopping and went to a great concert.  I wish that we went and saw more than we actually did.  It was an adventure, mostly because I was away from my father, not because I got to see Belgium.  I would rather have seen Belgium with my father.

5.  Canada- I have been to Canada a number of times.  I have never been very far north though.  I have seen the Columbia Ice Fields, Vancouver, Toronto, Niagra Falls and Horseshoe Falls.  Over the years of family vacations, Canada was a convenient destination.  I don't know whether it is because I have been there so many times that it does not seem all that special, or,  because it is so close to California compared to some of my other destinations.  Canada is a beautiful country and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see landscapes like we have here in the US.  I will try to think more on my visits to Canada and add more when I can.  Till then, just know that it is a great vacation destination.

6. The United States

In the Future

A trip to Africa is in the works. Lee and I will be in Kenya on Feb. 1, 2000 till Feb. 15, 2000 then I will be in England till Feb. 24, 2000.  I will be spending the week in England seeing "The Real England" according to Lee.  We want to go to Kenya and photograph the animals.  He is the photographer.   I will be there enjoying the animals and his companionship.  The pictures taken will be used in a black and white calendar.  I am sure that if you are intrested in ordering one all you would have to do is send me an e-mail and I will put in contact with the source.  I am expecting it to be a great trip.   We are going to be traveling with a company called Kimbla Kenya.  It seeme that the places we are going to be are the best places to go in Kenya.  I have to fly to England to meet up with Lee so it makes sense that I see all he can show me as well.  It will be like it was when he was here in San Diego visiting me.  I will be able to see all of the great places the locals know about and avoid all of the tourists.  I fly out of SD on Janyary 30 and arrive in London on the 31st at 3:15pm, then at 10:00pm that same night we fly out to Nairobi.  We arrive in Nairobi at 10am and from there we are picked up and our trip begins.  We do some sight seeing the same day we arrive, and then have a night in Nairobi.  Check out the new IMAX movie Africa's Elephant Kingdom.

It is amazing to me how things can be all but set in stone and then they change.  Lee has canceled his end of the trip.  He said something personal came up and he is not going to have the money to go to Africa.  So now I need to deal with all of the arangements I had already made.  I have decided that I will go to England by my self in April in stead of Feburary.  I will be there for about three and a half weeks.  I am going to rent a car and drive all over the island.  I am going to travel through out the island looking at all of the old castles.  I have always had a facination with that era of history so this is going to be my chance to see all of the buildings I so admire.  Click on England to see what I plan on doing or what I have done,  I will not be leaving till April 9, 2000.