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My Dream Vacation in Italy

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We all have that dream trip, the one at the top of our list, and for me that was Italy. Something about the rolling hills, vineyards, canals, artwork and history drew me in and made me want to visit this beautiful country. It wasn't going to be cheap, so I wanted to make it count. I was about to turn 30 and knew that now was the time. I started researching and talking to friends and by the time my birthday rolled around, the trip was booked. The next summer, we set off on a 10 hour flight to Venice.  This trip actually marked four items off of the list, the first being, of course, visit Italy. We decided to go with a tour group, Perillo Tours, to make it easier on ourselves. Our group started in Venice, then headed to Florence, Pisa, Sorrento, Pompeii and ended in Rome.  So what else did I check off the list? I got the chance to see my first wonder of the world: the Colosseum. Even though it was super hot the day we visited, this was still one of my favorite things we got to s...
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White Water Rafting in Ocoee Tennessee

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One item on the list, I've actually done multiple times at this point! White water rafting. Thanks to Groupon, we found out about Adventures Unlimited in Ocoee, TN. A group of us got together a drove up for the day to give it a try. And it was so much fun. In fact, I enjoyed it so much the first time, I talked my parents into going on a mini family vacation. We've all since been back and are looking forward to next time. Adventures Unlimited offers half and full river trips. I've only done the half at this point, but I'm looking forward to trying the full one day. At this particular establishment, you meet up at their headquarters, get suited up, and hop on a bus. It is about a 30 minute ride to get to the mouth of the river. Once there, your guide will give you a quick tutorial on steering, feet placement, and when to get down inside the raft. Rafting does take a bit of strength and agility to keep yourself inside the raft and to keep it moving in the right direction....
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Swimming With Dolphins in Hawaii

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  In 2015, I was able to visit many people's dream destination: Hawaii. After talking about it for years, some friends and I decided to make it happen.  We used a travel agent to book the trip (it saved us on airfare!). We sent her a list of activities we wanted to partake in and one was swimming with dolphins. Now, we probably could have swam with dolphins a little closer to home, but when in Hawaii... She booked our adventure at Sea Life Park on the island of Oahu. As part of our package, we got to enter the park before it opened and our park passes were included so, afterwards, we got to explore the rest of the park. Once we got suited up (and by that I mean put on  life jackets over our swimsuits), we got into a pool with a bunch of other people. First, we all lined up and the trainer led the dolphin by us so we could essentially pet it. All the while, she told us facts about dolphins and more about the park itself.  After the initial get-to-know-you, we took tu...
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Fly Like an Eagle- My Skydiving Adventure

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The first activity I wanted to talk about is one I am really proud of.  For much of my life, probably since I first watched the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers jump out of that plane back in 1995, I've wanted to go skydiving. Though most people around me said I was crazy, I was always talking the talk about how one day I would fly like a frickin eagle.  And finally, in 2018, the opportunity presented itself.   Nat, my brother's then-girlfriend (now wife), was talking about how much she wanted to go skydiving but couldn't find anyone to go with her. I said I would, though, honestly, I didn't think we would actually go. You know how sometimes you talk about doing things, but you never actually intend to do them? That was me and skydiving. I wanted to. I told everyone I was going to. But I also wasn't sure I ever actually would. Only, Nat was determined. Little did I know that once I agreed to go, I was locked in. It was Thanksgiving, as we sat at foldout tables in my gra...
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