"Three friends and I ventured into Bangkok over the weekened from Hong Kong. On our last day there we woke up at 3AM to see the famous 'Floating Market' -- and worried we wouldn't make it to the airport on time on the way back as it took about two hours to get there and two hours back. When we arrived, we boarded a canoe and bought some lunch as we ventured through the local upstream farmers who came down the river selling flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The experience was truly unforgetable. I still remember the jungle, the huts on the side, and the experiences that came with getting around without knowing any Thai!"

[Title: The Pearl of My Trip]

"The most stunning qualities in Italy are the culture and the people – the young and old, alike. Varying from region to region, the differences and similarities each provided one more piece to the charming puzzle of my experience.

While spending less than twenty-four hours in Venice, I experienced the chaos of Carnival. The beautiful canals, rich crimson gondolas, elaborate costumes, and tens of thousands of tourists contributed to the wonderful commotion. After losing my group, I wandered around San Marco Square and saw a little girl in costume. There was clearly something unique and beautiful about her. Composed and confident, at a young age, she represented the culture of Italy, which I spent seven months discovering, experiencing, and embracing. Both this little girl and the robust culture of Italy embody subtle beauties, which never cease to effortlessly take my breath away."

"While on a weekend trip to Torino, I impulsively skipped out on the plane ride home and hopped on a 10 euro train to Nice, a beach town on the Côte d’Azur. I intended to stay for a few days, but found myself there for 8, lost in the socca, fun nightlife, sunny weather, and 94 flavors at Fennochio's ice cream parlor. What can I say? Nice really is Nice."

"I snapped this picture on a walking tour through Christiania, a free-living society, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Christiania is a town within a city and has faced turmoil with Copenhagen. This statue was erected as a tribute to a small dog that was accidentally killed during a police raid."

"This Balinese temple at sunset took my breath away with the cool breeze. I was on a small tour and the only native English speaker I had come across in the previous ten days was sick. On my own, I learned the traditions and practices of a culture I had no experience with. This temple summarizes the overwhelming sense of freedom and independence I experienced while abroad."

"The Butte Montmartre is one of my favorite areas of Paris, with the gorgeous Sacré Cœur Basilica sitting on top of the hill. Paris had been endlessly rainy for a couple of weeks, completely void of sunshine. One day during a break between classes, we stepped outside onto ESCP’s courtyard to an amazing clear blue sky… we didn’t make it to the rest of our classes that day."

"My trip to Morocco, and specifically the time I spent in the Merzouga sand dunes in the Sahara Desert, will never be forgotten. There were endless mountains of sand that glistened by both the suns ray and the moons shine. It felt like I was in a different world, unexplored and untainted by globalization and civilization. This photo was taken before my camel ride to the middle of the desert, for an overnight journey. The man in blue is a berber, or a local inhabitant of the desert. He showed us the way of the dunes, and what life is like living nomadically in Northern Africa."