Guest Post Swap Coming Soon! + Bucket List

Hello there fellow wanderlusters!
Speaking of fellow wanderlusters, I am doing a guest post swap with the incredible Oakstar from An Amazing Case of Wanderlust. In a few days' time she will post for you all, so when she does give her some love and check out her blog if you haven't already! I'll also post on here when my guest post for her blog is available.
A few months back I did a summer bucket list tag about what I wanted to achieve during the summer. In this post, I want to share with you 20 things I would like to do before I die.

Travel/Adventure/Entertainment


1. Go bungee jumping
In Peru, I've already done an activity where I was slingshotted 405 feet in the air. However, I haven't been bungee jumping, and although many have agreed slingshotting is scarier, it's on my bucket list.

2. See every new wonder of the world
I have been to 2 of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Next summer, I will be visiting another one, and it's a dream of mine to visit the remaining 4 for my thirteenth birthday in 2017.

3. EdgeWalk on Toronto, Canada's CN Tower
The tower has a platform around its circumference for people who want to walk around the edge - I'm betting it'll be an amazing view! I haven't really explored Canada beyond a day trip to British Columbia, but it would be amazing!

4. Ride in a hot air balloon
Napa Valley, located about two and a half hours from my home, is renowned for their hot air balloons. I'd love to visit the valley and ride a hot air balloon around the region!

5. See a Broadway musical
I visited New York for my fourth birthday, but time didn't permit and I wasn't able to catch a Broadway show as I'd wanted. I hope I can revisit NYC and watch a Broadway show, especially one that I've performed in locally.

6. Climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Going along with my desire to revisit New York, I'd like to take the opportunity to go inside the Statue and climb the steps to the top. Last time I went there, we went sightseeing by boat and didn't get to go to the top. I climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower when I was six, so I'm sure that was good preparation!

7. Snorkel in the Galapagos Islands
I have never been snorkeling before, and I would love to visit the Galapagos Islands, for it is paradise there. This would be an amazing chance to see some sea turtles, which are some of my favorite animals.

8. Blaauwburg Beach in Cape Town, South Africa
The beach provides a stunning landscape. You can gaze at the city lights and the mountains behind, plus the plants and water on the beach have such a lush contrast. This is on my must-see list!

9. The Hobbits in New Zealand
I'm not much of a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fan, but I do appreciate Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand, which is where the movies were filmed. I would love to tour the sets - I could also grab some beverages from the Green Dragon Inn, and purchase souvenirs from the Shires Store.

10. View the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, in the Arctic Circle
I can only picture that timelessly, incredibly colorful sky. That illustration at the back of my mind makes me want to pack my bags and go now!

11. The Ice Hotel in Sweden
Wouldn't it be amazing to stay somewhere similar to Elsa's ice palace? This hotel is constructed entirely of snow and ice, plus I can view the Northern Lights from that location!

12. Iguazu Falls 
This waterfall on the border of Brazil and Argentina and near the boundaries of Paraguay is 269 feet high. The picture-perfect scenery would totally make it worthy of a trip!

13. Timbuktu, Mali
I've been reading up about Timbuktu, and it's seems like a fantastic site to visit. Can't wait to go there!

14. Travel by helicopter
I've seen this in movies; I'd like this to become reality!

Life

15. Release an album
It's one of my dreams to perform and write my own songs as a singer-songwriter, and releasing an album would just be my first stepping stone.

16. Publish a novel
I also want to become an author. Publishing my first novel would be a big moment of mine; I can't wait for it to come.

17. Act in a movie
I want a future as an actress, too! (I've got some big dreams.)

18. Name a star
I've heard of this, but I don't know anyone who's named a star, so maybe I'll be one of the first!

19. Learn a new language
I'm currently 18% proficient in French, my latest endeavor. J'aime parler francais. 

20. Volunteer abroad
To help people in third-world countries and in harsh living conditions would be the ultimate challenge, but I am up for it.

Peru - Travel Update 1

I’m really sorry for not updating you earlier. I was planning to post before my flight to Miami yesterday, but time did not permit.

I did take quite a few pictures at the airport in San Francisco and on the flight. After a 4-hour layover in Miami, we took a plane from Miami to Lima, Peru.

   A gate we had passed

   

 

    A view of the runway (please don’t mind the polka dots; that was just the design on the window)

 

    Another runway shot

    

    The runway from my window seat on the plane

    

    The ocean

    

    Clouds above the strikingly beautiful California coastline

    

    Mountains 

I hope you liked those pictures! I took one on the way to Lima.

The flight was a redeye, and I woke up just in time to witness sunrise. Since it was an international flight, even Coach had fully equipped personal entertainment systems. I had wanted to watch a movie, but I decided to sleep as that was my only opportunity. I woke up at 5 in the morning; I couldn't sleep, and so I was able to use my favorite feature on my entertainment system, the map. I could track the flight and it was so exciting to see which countries we flew over and when we were approaching our destination.

We had another flight from Lima to Cusco. I don’t have any pictures from that flight. After that, we hired a taxi to Ollantaytambo, where we dined at a quaint little café. From there we took a train to Machu Picchu. It was a jam-packed day; we had 2 flights, a taxi, and a train! Plus we’re heading to the ruins tomorrow (manaña) by bus.

   Peruvian license plate

   

    The menu of that café

Here I am in our hotel near the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Tomorrow we will board a bus to the actual ruins, where we will hike up a mountain and explore the beautiful Incan city atop the Andes mountain range. I’ll update you later!

School's Out + Preparing for Peru

AH! Finally! The school year has officially ended and we're leaving for Peru tomorrow! We were originally having some passport issues (I needed to have it renewed), but everything was solved and my new passport arrived in the mail yesterday.
I also wanted to let you know that this is my 97th post, so I will be reaching the grand 100 sometime next week. I will be posting regularly in the summer, so I'm trying to get to 150 if possible. Please don't mind random font changes and other stuff in my posts next week; I'll be using my tablet to post, which makes me prone to these imperfections.
I have an extensive packing list, which is not all that great because the train on the way to Machu Picchu (a historical site in Peru) does not allow luggage, forcing me to carry my Machu Picchu clothes and toiletries in my carry-on backpack. If you want to see what my packing list for my backpack is, here you go:

1 gallon Ziploc bag (for electronics in case it rains)
Sunglasses
Earbuds
Glasses case
iPod + charger
Toothbrush
At least 1 book (pack a few in suitcase)
Jacket
Water bottle
Caramels
and I'm adding more to it as time goes on.

I did visit the library yesterday, so I've got three books to read.

Well, I guess I'll leave this post here. My next update for you: tomorrow, in the airport getting ready for my plane to Miami, Florida before my connecting flight to Lima!

My Sister's Birthday + Tomorrowland + Travel

Yesterday, my older sister turned 17! Both Potterheads, we laughed about how "the Trace was off her" and about her "plans to become a Hogwarts professor." It turned out to be a pretty great day.
We left the house for an amazing restaurant in our area; the food was great and we got a free birthday "pizookie" - pizza-cookie - which was also delicious. We then left for our local movie theatre to watch Tomorrowland, but it ended up lasting late through the night, and I slept after midnight. I've never watched a movie in the middle of the school week, so it was quite fun.
I'm counting down the days until June 6! That marvelous day will be the day we embark on our 9-day journey to Peru. I've been working on and off on my packing list and our itinerary to prepare myself. I haven't been outside the country since my Europe trip the summer before second grade. Four years of international travel withdrawal is too much for me. This is how my travel since then has been:

Summer Before 3rd Grade Hawaii: Oahu
Summer Before 4th Grade Alaska: Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway + a day trip to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada + a day trip to Seattle, Washington
Summer Before 5th Grade Maryland: Montgomery County + weekly day trips to Washington, D.C.
Summer Before 6th Grade Peru: Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu

Water Park!

To commemorate us nearing the end of the school year, the fifth and sixth graders at my school spend the day at a nearby water park. Well, today happened to be the day of, so I'm going to give a quick recap.
Thankfully, my group and I were up for the thrill rides, so we were able to go on the high-speed water slides and roller coasters. The most thrilling ride was definitely Bombs Away, which I'll give a bit more detail on. This was the only ride no one in my group except me was comfortable doing, so they waited outside the line area while I had the time of my life! The park was almost closing, so the lines were getting shorter. Although everyone had been talking about the ride, I was the only person in line; I was able to experience the thrill immediately. For the ride, you step into a enclosed capsule around the size of a bathroom stall. A lady over the loudspeaker yells, "3.... 2.... 1....." before the ground beneath you disappears and you tumble through twisty turns and windy tubes, constantly drenched with water. When the ride is almost over, you feel weightless for a few seconds before you splash into a big pool.
So that's all for today. Thanks for reading!

Seussical Auditions + Memorial Day + Summit

Yesterday were the Seussical auditions! I think it generally went well; there wasn't a huge turnout and the song I chose, "Defying Gravity," from Wicked, was a good choice for my voice and vocal range. The acting and dancing portions also ran smoothly. On June 15th, I'll know my role. I'm torn between Gertrude, a classic ingenue who is dissatisfied with her appearance and is constantly vying for the affection of Horton the Elephant, and Mayzie La Bird, who is quite obnoxious and sees everyone as her inferiors. Gertrude envies Mayzie, who then shows Gertrude the "self-beautification" process. Gertrude believes her changed appearance will catch the eye of Horton, but Horton ends up loving Gertrude for her personality. They are polar opposites, but both characters interest me.

My mom and I have planned to go to Six Flags tomorrow, but we're not so sure. Happy Memorial Day everyone! I have a long weekend and will be swimsuit shopping on Monday for my water park field trip on Wednesday. I've been doing some summer planning and will be learning and performing and having lots of fun, which is great.

Discovery Girls will be notifying the selected Discovery Girls (that sounds kind of weird) in a few days! It's hard to believe that I'll know if I made it in just a week. Even if I don't get the email from them saying I got in, if I'm not notified by June 1st, I didn't make it. I've said it so many times it's probably annoying by now, but I can't wait! I remember my disappointment last year when May flew by and, on one evening in mid-June, I received a consolation email from Discovery Girls.

Well, that's all for now! Have a nice evening!

Travel Update # 2 - Los Angeles, CA

My mom and I faced quite a funny challenge this morning. It wasn't funny then, rather irritating.
We had gotten ready for the day, and once it was time for breakfast, we decided to go out and get some food. My mom and I walked to the parking lot and called my dad, realizing we didn't know where our minivan was because he'd parked it last. He told us which floor the car was on, and we took the elevator to get there.
We searched the whole floor and the floor above, but we somehow couldn't find our car. The most annoying part was, we had the keys, so my mom would keep unlocking it and hearing the sound, but we never found it. Another thing was that sometimes it didn't make a sound and sometimes it did, so we lost our hope of tracking the car by the sound.
My mom called my dad again, and he said we had used the wrong entrance into the parking lot. When we went the way he'd told us to, we heard the sound at its loudest. Finally we found the car. It took about a half-hour to finally start the drive, but we laughed it off afterwards.
Well, I am going to a museum today. After that, we're driving straight back home to Northern California. I'll post when I get home about what I see in the museum and what happens in the car.

Travel Update # 1 - I'm in Los Angeles, CA!

Hello there fellow wanderlusters! On my Travel page, I told you that I would be in Los Angeles today and tomorrow! We had a change of plans; we were supposed to leave early today, but we left yesterday afternoon, had dinner in LA, and slept. Here's what I wrote in the car (I didn't have any Internet connection so I couldn't post it then.)

____________

Here I am, in the car, headed to Los Angeles. We’ve been driving for about two hours, and we’re somewhere in central California. We’ll reach our destination at about 9:00 at night. I’ve mostly been reading and listening to music, and I just pulled out my computer to start writing something.

We were technically supposed to leave for Southern California tomorrow, but we had a change of plans and allocated tomorrow for full-on sightseeing (or hotel lounging) before we head to a museum on Tuesday. I’ve been to LA several times, but each visit is still an adventure.

Well, that’s all for now! I’ll blog back at the hotel!

_____________

I remember driving to our hotel and gazing at all the skyscrapers. Los Angeles is beautiful at night, with all the lights and colors. I have been to Los Angeles many times, but I still was thrilled to pass the STAPLES Center and Studio City. My hotel is near the University of Southern California, located in the heart of Los Angeles, which leaves us with many dining options. We dropped by a pizzeria across the street. Right next door, we had some amazing ice cream sandwiches. Once back at the hotel (which is, by the way, really nice), we had a good night's sleep. 

Now it's morning. We're not doing anything specific today, and we're probably not going sightseeing. But I'm still excited to see what goes down today!

Summer Bucket List Tag

If you haven't seen this recent post by MorningTime4, it's about a summer bucket list tag. I decided to do it, so I'll be writing 10 (I can't think of 15!) things I would love to do over the summer!

Just like Morning, I tag anyone who would like to do this. Post in the comments below what your bucket list is or blog about it!

IMAGE IS NOT MINE.

1. Blog four times a week.

Now, I blog once or twice a week, but four times? I've never done that! So it's my new goal to post new content four times a week, because I'll have so much to blog about! I'll also try to add more photos to my posts.

2. Perform in another musical.

This is definitely a priority of mine, and I'm leaning toward auditioning for Mayzie La Bird in Seussical.

3. Try something new.

I would absolutely LOVE to do a baking class over the summer, due to some books I read that really inspired me. I've never touched any baking equipment before, but I'm excited to start from scratch and try something new!

4. Successfully bungee jump.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'll be experimenting with bungee jumping in Cusco, Peru. I've done parasailing, horseback riding, and ziplining, but bungee jumping sounds like an awesome (but scary) experience.

5. Spend 300 minutes each week reading.

I can't exactly set a goal for how many books I can handle, but I will commit to a time goal. So 300 minutes means five hours a week.

6. Spend as much time as possible with my friends who are going off to private school!

Two of my best friends will be going off to private school, and I can't imagine school without them! I really hope I can meet them some time ...

7. Learn a new programming language.

I have only one or two in my toolkit. I'd like to learn how to code iOS apps and perfect my JavaScript!

8. Attend the Discovery Girls Summit.

This I really have no control over, because the selection process is subjective, but I really want to attend this year after two failed attempts! I've read the web diaries and know that it's an amazing opportunity to write for a magazine, meet wonderful new girls, and discuss topics close to our hearts.

9. Go to a few writing workshops.

I stopped attending workshops frequently last spring, but I loved that habit! I had regular workshop friends and there were so many writing styles we covered. We also got to meet authors sometimes, but I've only met Ally Condie, author of the Matched series.

10. Release my collab blog with Oakstar and Amelie, Second Look. 

I would love to kickstart our blog! We're using a platform that's kind of new to us, Weebly.

Annie Shows + Travel!

The school year is almost over. Annie shows were on Friday and Saturday. We've just booked a week-long vacation to Peru over the summer, and I'm really excited. So bear with me as I blab on about plans.
So we're trying to do everything that we can in Peru. We fly in to Lima, take a few trains here and there to Machu Picchu and Cusco, and really we're constantly exploring. To me, travel is exploration and capturing the essence of cultures different from ours. Being a "girl on the go," wanderlust gets the best of me and that's why travel is a ticket to fun! I'm also visiting Los Angeles mid-May, so I've got something closer to look forward to.
By the way, I'm really sorry. Having no post for a week (let alone two) is a serious red flag, but I've been really busy these days. As I said in a post back on April 2nd, the school year is at its peak. Soon all of this will die down, but until then my life is in a tangle. Testing just came around the corner, and we've been taking the Smarter Balanced exams this week.
What are you doing over the summer? Comment below.