“We learned that our fondest memories are not about the places we saw but rather the time we spent with each other. ”
----- Irresistible Internationals
Hi, Kumar here! I wanted to take some time to tell you about Team Irresistible Internationals’ Spring 2017 road trip. When we began our road trip extravaganza, we never expected that our road trip would teach us so much. While we enjoyed traveling and visiting new destinations, we learned that our fondest memories are not about the places we saw but rather the time we spent with each other.
1
San Francisco
Meet our car "Basanti"
The first two days consisted of a lot of driving. Our team did not let long hours on the road bring us down. In fact, some of our most memorable moments took place in the car. We sang along to the latest songs, old songs, and songs in different languages! We pulled pranks on each other and played games to pass the time. The games could be frustrating for the others since I almost always won. By the second day in the trip, we realized how dear our car was to us so we named her “Basanti.” We treasured our time with Basanti and she never let us down. Basanti taught us how to find joy in the small thing like taking picture with states’ welcome signs, trying new fast food places, and making pit stops for “gas.”
Highway 1 to Los Angeles
San Francisco was the first major destination on our trip. We were in awe as the Golden Gate Bridge slowly revealed itself around a curvy mountain pass. SuSie and Sarah were bubbly with excitement because they had always dreamed of visiting San Francisco and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge in person. Yuvin and I were more baffled by their excitement. We spent the night touring San Francisco with a few of SuSie’s friends. We drove down Lombard Street, visited Pier 39, and I had my first taste of fresh crab (a mildly traumatic experience). After a long night, we finally arrived at our hotel around 2:30 in the morning. Little did we know this would become the norm as we continued with our road trip. San Francisco taught us how to be fearless and try scary things (like eating crab).
2
Los Angeles
Universal Studio is always a MUST-GO
Los Angeles was next on our route. We opted to take the scenic route to LA via Highway 1 rather than the traditional interstate. Driving next to the Pacific Ocean was jaw-dropping. We stopped to take countless selfies and pictures along the way. Sadly, part of Highway 1 was closed due to a bridge complication. Consequently, we had to back track and finish our journey to LA via the interstate. Although it might have set us back a few hours, the drive along Highway 1 was definitely worth it.
Hagrid's House from Harry Potter
Chilling On Santa Monica Beach
In LA, we spent 2 days exploring attractions at Universal Studios, wandering down the Walk of Fame, and taking pictures with the infamous “Hollywood” sign. We dined at the ONLY Margaritaville in California and feasted on the Volcano Nachos which were featured on Channel 5’s news story. Perhaps the most exciting moment in LA was when Sarah met an actor dressed like her childhood star, Michael Jackson, on the Walk of Fame and then took a picture with him next to Michael Jackson’s star! LA taught us that dreams can come true!
3
Las Vegas
Las Vegas was destination number 3 on our trip. Although, Yuvin and I had been to Vegas before, SuSie and Sarah would be experiencing it for the first time. The lights and craziness that is Vegas wowed them. We saw circus acts, toured the resorts, and visited a museum of wax figures. Sarah was particularly fond of the Luxor that featured the iconic pyramid and a replica of the Sphinx from Egypt. SuSie was captivated by the Imagine Dragons show on the largest LED screen in the world at Fremont Street. When it started getting dark, Vegas began to wake up. We gained access to exclusive nightclubs at the famous Bellagio and Mandalay Bay via a guest list and the rest is history. Vegas taught us that you can do what ever you put your mind to – you can even recreate Egypt in the middle of a city!
4
National Parks
We wrapped up our trip by hopping around national parks on our way back. It was amazing to experience some of nature’s greatest wonders. Our inner explorers surfaced and we sought to begin a wilderness adventure. We attempted to cross a river but quickly concluded that none of us were ready to brace the ice-cold water. Also there could have been a flash flood, so we’ll blame the weather for our cowardice. We settled to simply learn more about nature instead. We learned how rocks can cry (Weeping Rock at Zion National Park) and how arches are craved by wind erosion over millions of years (Delicate Arch at Arches National Park). Although the weather was not always on our side, we cherished every moment.
Weeping Rock at Zion National Park
Visiting the national parks taught us of how incredible our planet is and how important it is to do our part to protect the environment.
Overall, our road trip extravaganza was an overwhelming success. As a result of our journey, we have broadened our understanding of the world and learned to appreciate the little things we take for granted daily. We faced our fears, tried new things, and most importantly, supported each other every step of the way. All great things eventually come to an end, as did our road trip. However, the memories we’ve created and the lessons we’ve learned will live on with us for the rest of our lives.
Thank you, Boro, for sponsoring this wonderful experience!
Road Trip Voting
Dates:2017.4.20 - 2017.4.26
Voting Policies
1. Register a Boro account
To prevent malicious brush ticket behavior, we require every voter to use his own school email (@.edu) to register a Boro account in order to participate in voting.
2. Login everday, Vote for a team
After login, each account is allowed to vote for any ONE of the eight teams. Only ONE vote is allowed per day, but you can re-vote on the other day. (e.g. 7 votes in total are counted if you vote on 7 consecutive days.)
3. Vote and Win Travel funds
We will randomly select 10 voters to win $200’s travel funds in cash. The more you vote, the higher chance to win the rewards!
The final winning teams of the Road Trip Challenge will be decided upon both the total number of votes it gets and the total score it gets from completing the tasks
The Champion
$2,000 Cash rewards
The Runner up
$1,000 Airline Voucher