Derrick Weeks

Every year since I was 12, my family and I have gone out of the country for a vacation. It sounds very snobby, but for us traveling is kind of like cheating. My dad is a pilot for Delta and we have always tried to make the most of it. This year we went to Malaga and Madrid in Spain. Malaga, which is a gorgeous Spanish city that is on the beach, is not too far from the Strait of Gibraltar. At the Strait, Spain and Africa are only 10 miles away. So during our trip, we decided to take a day trip to Tangier, Morocco. For me, this trip to Morocco was very special. Going to Africa means I've been to every continent except Antarctica! And maybe one day that will lie in my travel plans.

I think out of my travels, the coolest place I have seen is Fushimi Inari-taisha, which is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan. At the start, there is a Shinto temple that leads to a walk-way up a 700 foot mountain that is covered with over 10,000 orange arches. I’ve never seen anything like it before; it was absolutely incredible!

However, when I tell people I’ve been to Japan, most people only ask about Tokyo not about Kyoto, or some of the other cities I went to. Don’t get me wrong, Tokyo is a great place, but there are other parts of the world that have amazing things to see that no one knows about and I think this has really impacted my life. As I get ready to start a career, most people look for the money, the cars, and their retirement. But much like traveling, there’s other things that people don’t always know about that brings happiness. For me, what brings me happiness is the experiences in places near and far and I only want to add greater experiences to my life.