I have so many travelling friends, and I have been wondering if it is just a coincidence or if travellers are bonded together through wanderlust. Recently, my friend Molly was telling me about an adventure she was about to embark on with her family, a four-day trek around Lake Waikaremoana, which is one of New Zealand's Great Walks.

Why did I decide to walk nearly 500 miles in a foreign country where I knew no one and could not speak the language? I am still discovering the reasons, but this is what I know so far.

Traveling abroad can have many benefits, and educationally can be a million times more effective than opening a textbook. The perks of traveling abroad are not purely educational, of course. Martin Hodel, my father, is a professional musician and has had multiple international experiences because of concerts and tours with various programs.

So I realized there is one place that I have not written about yet, one of my most favorite cities in the world, Rome.  Rome is where my love of travel first started and where I first studied abroad. Fast forward many years later, it still remains one of the biggest loves of my life.

Florida Culture for the Week of October 28: Halloween Edition, by Josh Garrick

Oct 29 – American Guild of Organists FREE SPOOKTACULAR Organ Concert

There is an expression my family uses: you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting……(Insert noun). In Marietta, Georgia, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting history. History is everywhere. On every block, there is a historic house. There is a surprising amount of museums in this small town. History and modern culture blend together in harmony.

~Travel Writing:

My definition of travel writing is different than many other people's definition. I don't mean just blogging and sharing my experiences. But more like capturing the essence and culture of that place—and adding it to a story.

Have you heard of the English Riviera? It’s a great nickname for Torquay, a coastal town located in Devon, along the English Channel (and the surrounding area). Why the English Riviera?

My family and I were visiting the Pompeii Ruins in Italy. We had walked through cobblestone streets, ran among the ruins, lingered in the old gardens, and even played fetch with a few dogs we came across along the way.  After an exhausting morning of discovering the history of this unique area, I was ready for a much needed nap.

My final day in Nigeria was a very good one. The teachers continued the workshop from Wednesday, this time writing comic book manuscripts and creating their actual comic books. It was clear that they were truly understanding the "language" of comics: the balance of art and writing that makes comics what they are.