Emily Weiland

Professor Bedell
Second Semester Passion Blogs

Myrtle Beach
Especially during snowy days like today, its easy to imagine escaping to
somewhere tropical or at least somewhere where the temperature is above 20 degrees.
To start off my blog series, Im going to begin with my favorite place in the whole
world the beach. My aunt and uncle have a condo in Myrtle Beach, SC, so my family
often vacations there. I think the reason why I absolutely love my days spent in Myrtle
Beach is because it truly feels like a second home to me. One of my favorite quotes is A
little sand between your toes always takes away your woes. I absolutely love this quote
because I cannot even begin to express how free I feel when Im barefoot in the warm
summer sunshine gazing into the seeming less infinite ocean. I also love that even when
we are on vacation, I feel completely at home in my aunt and uncles condo. Having had
this experience growing up, it has inspired one of my goals for the future- having a beach
house of my own.
If you ever get the chance to continually go back to the same place to vacation, I
would recommend it because you get to know the area and the people who live there. I
truly believe that theres always something new to experience everywhere you go, even if
youve been there hundreds of times. Each year my family visits Myrtle Beach, we
always pick something new to do. For example, this past summer my family went to a
concert held in the historic Alabama theatre, as well as a dinner/movie show combo
called Pirates Voyage. If you are up for some entertainment and some good food, I
would definitely recommend this show. However, hands down my favorite experience in
South Carolina was when my sister and I went paddle boarding on the Intracoastal
Waterway in Murrells Inlet, about 45 minutes further south from Myrtle Beach. Finding
a place to rent paddleboards and to take lessons is actually really hard to find on the east

coast, but after some careful research I found the perfect place. I had wanted to go
paddle boarding for as long as I could remember, but once I had a place picked out I was
terrified I would be awful at it. Rest assured, its actually incredibly easy and relaxing.
Plus in two hours time, I only fell once. I would definitely recommend paddle boarding
to anyone, regardless of athletic ability.
Overall, Myrtle Beach, SC is a great place to visit, so if youve never been there
and get the opportunity to, take it! Theres something for everyone to do regardless of
age or interest and it truly is one of my favorite places to be.

Southern California
Palm trees.
Surfboards.
Disneyland.
The infamous Hollywood sign.
Southern California truly is a place like no other.
During my junior year of high school, the National Leadership Conference for
Future Business Leaders of America was to be held in Anaheim, California. I had never
been on an airplane, much less the west coast, but I had my heart set on representing
Pennsylvania in the Personal Finance event.
Fast forward to June, and I was en route to one of the best experiences of my life.
It was my first time traveling without my family, but I was beyond excited to experience
southern California.
On our first day, we took a bus from LAX to Newport Beach, California. In
Newport, we did a whale watching tour, which is one of the coolest things Ive ever done
in my entire life. We only saw one whale, but during our tour, hundreds of dolphins

swam right beside our boat and followed us out to sea. At the beach, I was shocked at
how cold the Pacific Ocean water was- I had assumed that because southern California is
relatively warm all year long that the ocean water would be warm. I couldnt have been
more wrong, and truthfully I still cant fathom why the water from the sunny southern
beaches off the Pacific coast is so cold.
During our day in the Hollywood Hills, we had a VIP tour of Warner Bros
Studios. Cinema is a staple of Los Angeles, and touring the facilities at Warner Bros and
learning more about movie production was a really cool experience in the movie capital
of the world. I saw the General Lee from the Dukes of Haggard, various articles of
clothing worn in the Harry Potter movies, and the golf cart from Pretty Little Liars. I
even got to pose for a picture on the couch from Central Perk in the TV show Friends,
Warner Brothers most successful sitcom.
Disneyland was located within walking distance of our hotel and conference
center, which was perfect for free time in between conference events. I thought it was
really cool to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Disney World
and Disneyland. Disneyland is much smaller, but can be accomplished in one day. Many
rides were similar, but Disneyland offered unique quirks that Disney World does not
have. For example, the World of Color was a really unique nighttime show, as was the
small, serene location for the Fantasmic show that is offered in both parks. There were
also some fantastic restaurants in the Park, with my favorite being the French Market
Restaurant.
Although I didnt place nationally at this conference, I had the time of my life. It
was a great opportunity to travel without relying on my family for anything; I kind of feel
like I experienced independence for the first time on this trip. When I got back to my
hometown, many people asked me what my favorite part was. To be completely honest,
however, Im not sure that I have a favorite part because it truly was all around one of the
best weeks of my life. Other than the traffic, I absolutely love southern California.

Disney World
I had the privilege of going to Walt Disney World for the first time during my
junior year of high school with my high school marching band. My best friends and I
spent a whole week in the happiest place on earth and we honestly could not have had a
more perfect week.
We took a charter bus the whole way from my town in Central PA to Orlando,
Florida, to march in a parade through Magic Kingdom. Although the main focus of the
trip was for both the band and chorus to perform, we also enjoyed a whole week in sunny
Florida while our hometown received a few February snowstorms.
This was my first trip to Disney World, and I couldnt have asked for a more
perfect experience. My friends and I carefully planned out a flexible itinerary of
everything we wanted to do in all four parks, so that we could make the most out of each
park without missing out on anything. Most other groups from my school were rather
indecisive and inexperienced when it came to traveling in groups, but as juniors my best
friends and I had already had previous travel experiences together and knew exactly what
to do to make the most out of the trip.
I think my favorite part about Disney World was being able to act like a kid again.
I was experiencing everything for the first time as a teenager, but I made memories I will
never forget. For example, on our first day in Animal Kingdom I saw my first character
walking around the park. I literally chased Pluto down a curvy road, something my
friends will never let me forget. My friends and I also made countless memories before
we even stepped foot on the charter bus. Our halftime show was Disney themed and after
most football games my friends and I would have Disney movie marathons as we
anxiously anticipated our trip.
I just want to take a second to rave about Disneys Fastpass system. To be
completely honest, I think the idea is ingenious. Once you figure it out, which I thought
was rather simple, it allows you to spend more time exploring the less popular areas of
the park and then come back to the most popular rides. Some of my favorite rides were
the Rock n Roller coaster, the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, and the Kilimanjaro

safari. In addition to the rides, I thoroughly enjoyed all the shows that are at Walt Disney
World. They are such a nice break from riding roller coasters, and the actors and
actresses are truly talented. My favorites were the Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones,
and The Lion King.
To take advantage of our busy schedule, my friends and I usually didnt go to a
sit-down restaurant to eat, however on our last night we enjoyed a perfect dinner at the
Lady in the Tramp themed Restaurant on Main Street before watching the fireworks over
the Castle to end our trip. Although this was surely a memorable final evening in Florida,
I STRONGLY suggest never being on Main Street if you have to head back into the park
after the show (we had to meet the rest of our group in front of the castle). Long story
short, you will be the only people headed in that direction. I wouldnt consider myself
claustrophobic, but I had some doubts after literally being at a standstill because
EVERYBODY was walking in the opposite direction. Looking back, its definitely
something Ill never forget, however it wasnt the most enjoyable experience at the time.
Even though taking a bus the whole way to Florida probably sounds awful, or at
least thats what I thought when I first heard our transportation details, it was a blessing
in disguise on the way home. After an extremely fun yet exhausting week, everyone slept
pretty much the whole way home. It was greatest thing ever!
Some of my favorite memories from my high school years were made on this trip,
and I cant wait to embrace my childhood self again when I go back to Disney World. It
truly is the happiest place on earth.

Tennessee
Sweet tea.
Live music.
Famous barbecue.
Southern bliss

I would go back to Tennessee in a heartbeat if given the chance. Last summer, I

traveled to Memphis and Nashville through Future Business Leaders of America. My
sister and I worked together on a team and represented Pennsylvania in the Global
Business event by competing in the National Leadership Conference, where we ended up
placing tenth in the nation. Im so grateful that I grew really close to my sister in my
final year of high school, and I had so much fun with her and the rest of my FBLA
chapter during our week in Tennessee.
Memphis was where our flight landed, and we spent about a day and a half in
total in the city. Personally, Memphis was not my favorite place; in fact, Id prefer to
never go back. For me, its a been there, done that kind of place. Our first night we
went to Mud Island, which essentially is a tribute to the history of the Mississippi River.
We also went to a minor league baseball game that was walking distance from our hotel
(The Peabody), but the bugs were so bad that we left after two innings. Beale Street is
iconic of Memphis, and the nightlife was great. The morning was a whole different story.
The whole atmosphere smelled of warm booze, and needles lined the streets. Homeless
people were scavenging the garbage that lined the street, and we were constantly asked
for money. On the upside, the one thing I really enjoyed in Memphis was Graceland,
although we didnt have near as much time as I would have liked to walk around
Graceland. Even though Im not the hugest Elvis fan, touring his home and seeing all of
his awards and paraphernalia was a lot of fun, and definitely my favorite part of
Memphis. We then took a charter bus to Nashville, where we enjoyed the rest of the
week.
Nashville is a beautiful city, and as a country music fan I think I appreciated it
even more. One thing that surprised me however was the variety of live music played on
every street corner. From classic country, to rock n roll, to even rap music, there was
truly something for everybody to enjoy. The expansive array of restaurants in downtown
Nashville also provided for every budget and a wide variety of cuisine to suit everyones
preferences. I highly recommend that if youre ever in Tennessee to take advantage of
the barbecue. Prior to this trip, I wasnt a huge fan of barbecue, but during my week in
Tennessee I literally had some form of barbecue at least once, if not twice, a day. It was

honestly that delicious! Tennessees sweet tea is also something you cant pass up and is
a must for every meal.
In Nashville, we stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center,
which was quite possibly the nicest hotel Ive ever stayed in. Within walking distance
was The Opry Mills mall, which was perfect during the conference when we had a few
hours between events to get a nice lunch and to go shopping. We also visited the Country
Music Hall of Fame and went on the Historic RCA Studio B tour, which was Nashvilles
first recording studio and the one in which Elvis Presley recorded the majority of his hit
songs. Other notable artists who recorded at this studio include Carrie Underwood, Dolly
Parton, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson.
Overall, it was a great trip and I would love to go back to Tennessee if given the
chance.

Connecticut
Sometimes the best trips you can take are the most unexpected and the most
random. Random is a pretty good word to describe my week in Connecticut. My sister
had a basketball tournament at UConn, and my great aunt lives near Hartford, CT. I had
never really been north of New York, so I decided to spend the week at my great aunts
house instead of home alone.
This trip occurred two summers ago, and the way the schedules from everyone in
my family worked out, we didnt have time to spend a week at the beach. I was
absolutely crushed, because the beach is my absolute favorite place in the whole world.
However, I suggested and had my heart set on spending a day at the beach while we were
in Connecticut. Let me just start by saying I had never been more disappointed in my
life. The temperature that day had barely hit 70 degrees, huge masses of disgusting
seaweed lined the shore, and there werent even any waves. Now I wasnt expecting

gorgeous, pristine beaches or anything, but I was anticipating something a little better
than say Lake Erie. Everyone tried to tell me that it wouldnt be your typical beach, but I
was so insistent on spending a day with my toes in the sand that I ignored all of their
warnings, only to be utterly disappointed.
However, I did get to do some really cool things while in Connecticut. For
example, near my aunts house we went to some really neat antique shops, which were
really fun just to look around. There were also really old cemeteries with markers from
Revolutionary War heroes that lined many of the streets, which we took the time to stop
and explore one day.
My absolute favorite part of this trip was actually when we visited a Lego factory
in Enfield, CT. My aunts pastor worked part-time there, and we were able to schedule a
private tour through the facility. Previously, I had never fathomed or put a lot of thought
about what goes into something as trivial as toy Legos. I was truly amazed at everything
that went on in the plant and all of the people I met. Everyone was incredibly nice, but in
all honesty how could you not be in a good mood when you play with Legos all day?
The truth of the matter, though, is that there is so much more to constructing Lego
masterpieces than I ever could have imagined. The engineers have a very complex
computerized system that they use when working on large projects, and I had the
privilege of seeing how it is done, including the manufacturing process for boxed Lego
kits. The majority of the huge Lego statues seen at places like Disney World, Disneyland,
Legoland, and among other places, were more likely than not constructed by many of the
engineers I met when I was in Enfield.
Overall, this was a fantastic trip, not only because I got to spend a lot of time with
my great aunt, but also because I got to experience some pretty unique places. Touring
the Lego factory was an incredible experience, as was seeing what were probably the
oldest tombstones I had ever seen in my life. Although Connecticut may not be a top
destination for your next travel, I would highly suggest taking a road less traveled and
experiencing some of the little known treasures and towns should the opportunity arise.