Over the course of my almost 16 years of life, my father has been very generous in showing me the world. Traveling has been one of my most important values and biggest hobbies probably since the day I was born. Touring around a new place is my #1 favorite thing to do. Every time I visit a new country or city I see exotic and unfamiliar cultures and I am amazed and so grateful for the life I live. Yearly, I get to visit so many foreign places that other people can only dream of seeing. Experiencing, learning, and viewing new languages, foods, architectures, histories, views, activities, and so many other aspects are all a part of the traveling experience.
Ever since I was a little girl my family has been traveling to various places around the world. I am proud that I can say I have visited every continent (yes, including Antarctica), and over 60 countries within them. Every time that my parents announce a new trip, I get extremely excited. I think that it is amazing that I am so young and yet I have seen most of what the Earth has to offer.

I love taking pictures. I would say photography is my second biggest hobby. Everywhere I go whether it be a new country with my family or if I’m out with my friends, I take pictures (yeah they do think I’m annoying for that). It is great having pictures in my house of the pyramids of Giza, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the Taj Mahal, the statue of Christ of Redeemer, the Sydney Opera House, the blue lagoon, the golden circle, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the sphinx, and Big ben. On top of that there is the Brandenburg Gate, the Dead Sea, Acropolis, the Mount Eden crater, Petra Jordan, the Chechen Itza, Iguazu falls, New grange in Ireland, the Wailing Wall, and many other land marks. Pictures are a great contribution to capturing great moments and sights.

It is pretty amazing to be able to say that I have been to all of these places. It is strange to me to look at myself and realize that I, Michelle Vekshteyn, have been here and there and almost everywhere. It all seems like a dream (but I have proof that it isn’t)! One of my favorite parts of coming home from these trips is being able to put a new red sticker on the map hanging in my dad’s office indicating where we went. There are so many little red dots and they make me jubilant because of the amount of memories and flashbacks I get just by looking at them.

Traveling sometimes has sacrifices. Not only is it very costly, but also I have missed several weeks at a time from school just to go learn more about our world. It is a lot of work and stress to have to bring three weeks of work with me on my trips. Most of the time I have to teach myself new skills and knowledge from what my teachers give me. Although it is difficult I think it is worth it for my own experiences.

While it is very expensive and takes up time, traveling is worth every penny and minute. I am very proud of my dad for being able to coordinate these family adventures, and I am so thankful and appreciative for being able to share these experiences. You never know what else you’re going to see out there; I sure can’t wait to find out.