3 . When my kids were young, we bought them two pet parrots. These beautiful, white birds would whistle all through the day. We had a big cage for them with toys, and a mirror, plus food and water dishes. We couldn’t let them fly in the house because of our cats, but they didn’t seem to be content in their cage or so, I thought.

One day when the air had turned warm, I opened the window to let the wind in. The songs of lots of different birds filled the air and our two parrots sang with excitement. I went over to their cage to replace their water, but as soon as I opened the door, one of them flew out and headed for the window. He crashed into the glass, fell over onto the sofa, fell back up and then started to fly around the living room. The cats ran after him, hoping for a quick meal. The kids screamed (尖叫) and I rushed to save him. It took several minutes to stop the cats from catching the bird, and get him safely back in his cage. After that day, however, I always felt a bit sorry for my parrots. I knew that no matter how comfortable their cage was, they still wanted to fly.

Many of us live in cages of our own making. We close our minds, lock away our hearts, and limit our lives. We refuse to see the love that lies within us. We sit in our cages day after day and never dare to once open the door.

I don’t want to waste my days sitting bored in a cage. I want to go fast through the sky on wings of kindness and joy. I want to ride on the winds of love and help everyone to do the same. Don’t stay stuck in your own cage then. Let yourself fly!

6 . The best trips with friends are the ones that are well-planned. Here are a few tips on planning an incredible trip with friends and making memories that last.

    1     Someone might be looking to rest and relax on a beach, while another person might be looking to enjoy as much nightlife as possible. Figure out what everyone wants and find out what everyone’s top three destinations are, and research places that have all of your common interests.

Nothing puts a damper on (使扫兴) vacation planning with friends than arguments over money.    2     Meeting at a friend’s house or talking over dinner can reduce what can sometimes be an awkward discussion by group texts or emails.    3     When the major (主要的) costs are out of the way, don’t forget about smaller joint (共同的) expenses like taxis and tips.

It’s fun to get lost in the excitement of booking things and crossing off your checklist of to-dos.    4     It’s important to provide a window of opportunity for everyone to comfortably share their opinions and concerns about trip decisions.

Despite all the late-night planning and lunchtime meetings, some situations will be totally out of your hands.    5     Remind everyone not to focus narrowly on a few dollars, and whatever you do, don’t ever let arguments get out of control.

7 . Cambry Nelson is paralyzed (瘫痪的) and has used a wheelchair for years. Still, she didn’t let it stop her from exploring the areas she could get to in her chair, but it came at the expense of some serious shoulder pain. Wanting to help Cambry live life to the fullest, her husband Zack created a DIY off-roading wheelchair.

The chair was made from two electric bikes put together with a seat in the middle. The thick tires ( 轮胎) made it easy for Cambry to move over uneven ( 不平坦的) ground and the fact that it was electric left her arms feeling a lot less painful.

The couple discovered that the chair cost much less (while most off-roading wheelchairs “cost as much as a car,” their chair cost around $4, 000) and had more power than a lot of off-roading wheelchairs on the market. So, they decided to make a business of it.

They call it “Not A Wheelchair.”

It’s designed to fit through (most) doorways as well as to fit into the back of a truck, jeep, or small SUV when it breaks down. As for power, it can go about 12 mph and has enough battery (电池) life to last anywhere from 10 to 35 miles. It also has specially designed space to hold whatever you may want to take along with you on your journey.

When ordering your chair, you get to customize it with your favorite color! Even better? It’s made out of bike parts so you don’t need to take it to a special repair shop if it is in need of repair.

Cambry said, “There are things I’ve never done before and things I stopped thinking about doing because at one point I thought I couldn’t,” and that the chair Zack made her completely changed her attitude. Since taking it off-road, she said, “I like to think it’s just more proof (证明) that difficulties can always be dealt with. Sometimes it just takes a new idea, a creative mind, and a lot of perseverance.”

8 . Brad Ryan, 38, is taking his 89-year-old grandma Joy Ryan on a tour of all 61 US national parks.

The idea for the________ came in 2015, when Brad told his grandma about a hike he had completed. Joy really________ that she didn’t get to do more of that type of thing and have more________ in life. She grew up in a small town and worked into her 80s without going out to see the world. So when Brad________ to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park, he called to invite his grandma to________ with him.

As for Grandma Joy, she was ready for that________. “You can just stay in your________ old corner of the world for so long,” she________. “There wasn’t anything there. And so, I just thought it would be________to have an adventure.”

After that first trip, Brad________taking Grandma to national parks. So far, they have visited 21 US national parks.

“Grandma helped me to slow down. She would________ the little things like the color of the mushrooms (蘑菇),” Brad said. “My attention was on goals, like climbing a mountain, but sometimes it’s not all about the________views, it’s about________ those little moments too.”

“I just hope everyone gets some________and realizes your life’s not over. You can always________one more thing,” said Grandma Joy.

From this year’s trip through Southeast Asia, last year’s Central America adventure and traveling within Canada, travel has been a(n)     1     (wonder) part of my life. My study abroad in Australia had such a huge impact     2     my life that I created my own travel blog Little Miss Ottawa as a way     3     (challenge) myself to experience Ottawa as a traveler would.

Whenever a friend or family member comes back from a trip, they always can’t wait to tell you about the highlights (最好的部分)! Research from San Francisco State University has shown that people feel     4     (comfortable) when they spend money on experiences than on other things and they feel the money is better spent.

Experiences are something I truly value. Your     5     (happy) increases with experiences, but the impact of people you meet along the way also matters. Some of my best    6     (trip) were when I went alone and I     7     (lucky) met people who would become friends for life. Now I have people I can visit all over the world. In fact,     8     is so easy to build friendships with other travelers because everyone is ready to meet new people. I jumped into my study abroad in Australia     9     (know) no one. I left with friendships     10     will last a lifetime. There’s something about going through experiences together that has bonded (建立关系) us for life.

10 . During our four days in Sydney, the first thing on my wish list was to record the symbols of this city, the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, at sunset (日落). Thankfully, my family was very patient with me, as we watched the sunset over and over again while I recorded the exciting moments on my camera.

We first arrived at the Queen Victoria Building, or QVB, which has been called one of the most beautiful places to go shopping. From the QVB we walked down to the Circular Quay, our first look at the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Then the next day, we went to the Taronga Zoo, located across the harbour (港口) from the Circular Quay. There are many Australian animals as well as lions, tigers, and Asian elephants. The best part of the zoo is the ferry (渡船) ride to get there and the view along the way.

For one of the best sunset views, we paid a visit to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, a famous viewpoint of the Sydney Harbour. I felt like a true photographer, making my very patient and understanding family wait in the cold for almost two hours while I filled my memory card with photos of the wonderful sunset.

Our time had to come to an end. We spent our last night at the Sydney Opera House café, playing cards, drinking wine, and watching the sunset.

If you would like to know where not to stay in Sydney, then do not go to the Central Railway Hotel. This hotel, one of the few that were cheap enough to fit into our budget, was loud, dirty, and crowded. We were always checking the windows, since so much noise was coming in from the streets. The only good thing was its location, being a five-minute walk from Central Station, a hub (中心) of Sydney.