Passport Pages: Volume II
The series continues as five different individuals of the AUP community share their coolest stamps and travel locations. From Bali to the UK to Dakar, the eagerness to travel never stops. If you have not planned a trip yet for fall break, you might be inspired for your next travel location. Grab a friend, find a cheap ticket, pack a bag, and off you go.
Image Credit: Esmeralda Louvat
Name: Esmeralda Louvat
Passports: French and American
Languages: French, English, and Spanish
When having to decide between Milan and the English countryside, our French-L.A. girl has to put her preference towards the countryside. Esmeralda loves to travel, but her face lights up the most when she talks about her trip to the picturesque countryside of England, mainly Warwick and Oxford. Old England with its historic buildings feels "full of history and culture. You find it all over Europe, but these felt different, the Warwick castle is insane." Having her mom and sister—who are very passionate about the culture and the history of buildings—as her personal tour guides, was an additional plus to the trip.
Image Credit: Katerina McGrath
Name: Katerina McGrath
Passports: Irish and American
Languages: English and French
For Katerina, better known as Kate, her favorite location is one that is very close to the heart. On a quest to experience her paternal-family roots, Kate and her travel buddy, Marly, navigated themselves to Ireland for six days last winter (2016). Growing up and hearing all the stories from her father, who adores the Irish people, Kate wanted to connect with the Irish part of her heritage. Kate claims "it was one of the best trips I've ever taken. I loved the people there, my first night I ended up dancing to live music with a 70-year-old Irish man on a stage." The last few nights of her trip consisted of trying out all the places her dad advised her to see, as well as having a real Irish Guinness.
Image Credit: Quentin Palasti
Name: Quentin Palasti
Passports: French and Hungarian
Languages: French, English, Italian, German
Having lived in Jakarta, Quentin's number one travel location was never very far away: the Indonesian island of Bali. The never-ending adventures on the island are what makes it Quentin's favorite. "It's an easy life; you can surf, go to parties, and rent motorbikes for very little money a day." Quentin states. The everlasting warm weather and the always loving friends continue to draw Quentin to Bali, and he is already looking at when he can go back.
Image Credit: Alizée Chaudey
Name: Alizée Chaudey
Passports: French and Ivorian
Languages: French and English
For the French-Ivorian Alizée Chaudey, a first-year, her favorite stamp is an easy choice: it is the stamp she gets every time she goes home to Dakar, Senegal. Alizée mentions how her ten years in Senegal were some of the best ones she's had. The most memorable parts of living in Senegal have been "Surfing, the ocean, and the year-long summer." Yet, besides the beautiful coastline and never-ending summer, there is the beauty of driving an hour away from the city and finding yourself amidst the Senegalese wildlife.
Image Credit: Le Courrier de Russie/Oleg Kobtzeff
Name: Oleg Alan Kobtzeff
Passports: American and French
Languages: Fluent in English, French, and Russian, proficient in Ukrainian and Italian, understandable in German and numerous Slavic languages.
The well-traveled Professor Kobtzeff uses his languages skills to his benefit as he continues to add stamps to his passport. When asked what his favorite place to travel has been, Professor Kobtzeff did not hesitate for a minute: Helsinki, Finland is his number one choice. Helsinki has the perfect combination of everything he enjoys; a beautiful cultural environment and a fabulous natural environment. Professor Kobtzeff spent almost a whole summer in Helsinki and has traveled there a total of three times. His favorite thing to do in Helskini is "walk around the open-air museum, where you have log structures, brought from all over the corners of Finland in the early 20th century." The logs are surrounded by complete and total wilderness, as well as wildlife. The perk is that this nature getaway is only circa 25 minutes away from the city center.
If you are looking to get away from the never-ending busy-ness of the city, maybe try out or be inspired by some of these great locations. Bring a good book or your hiking boots, and most of all a positive attitude to discovering new places
Bon voyage!
