1 . You should see the photo. I’m sitting in red dirt, ________ an ugly purple T-shirt. My face is pink and my hair is wet with sweat. Flies buzz around my head. I’m in the northwest of Australia, on a school trip with 20 parents and 20 kids.

It was a strange choice for a holiday. I like sitting by the pool with a cola, not flies and frogs. I like being ________ and quiet, not a busload of kids. I like ________ washed sheets, not dirty-looking blankets.

But here’s the thing about that photo: I am smiling!

The trip sounded good when I ________. We were told that guides would take us into the heart of the place and I would see a new part of Australia and learn about local ________. Besides I knew it would be a valuable chance for me to stay with my youngest daughter. I would also stay with 40 strangers. I just hope there would be good coffee.

In Darwin we got onto a bus. It quickly became tiresome. The kids were ________ and kept on talking but I hate making small talk.

But later when I looked out at the large empty land, I was surprised at and moved by its ________. Our local guide told us about the land and his culture. I felt far from home.

Finally we reached our ________. There the small room I shared with my daughter was a brick cell, full of crickets (蟋蟀), but too dark to see them.

It didn’t matter. The next nine days were ________. Waterfalls, lakes, community visits, and a trip around Katherine Gorge where we even saw giant crocodiles!

On our last night, a water pipe (管子) ________. We awoke to a mess, everything in water. Usually I would have ________, but it just seemed ________ to be dirty.

Indeed, it was ________ to stay clean. We were hiking in red dirt with temperatures of 35 degrees. Still, I felt a kind of energy I hadn’t ________ in years.

Yes, the coffee was bad, but I was too focused on keeping crickets off my face.

I love that photo of me in the dirt. I look messy but happy. Sometimes it’s another way of traveling. There is beautiful ________ and there is dirt. There was always someone to talk to, someone to laugh with.

2 . My husband, our children and I have had wonderful camping experiences over the past ten years.

Some of our _______ are funny, especially from the early years when our children were little. Once, we _______ along Chalk Creek. I was _______ that our 15-month-old boy would fall into the creek (小溪). I tied a rope around his waist to keep him near to our spot. That lasted about ten minutes. He was _______, and his crying let the whole campground know it. So _______ tying him up, I just kept a close eye on him. It _______ — he didn’t end up in the creek. My three-year-old, however, did.

Another time, we rented a boat in Vallecito Lake. The sky was clear when we _______, but storms move in fast in the mountains, and this one quickly _______ our peaceful morning trip. The _______ picked up and thunder rolled. My husband stopped fishing to ____________ the motor. Nothing. He tried again. No ____________. We were stuck in the middle of the lake with a dead motor. As we all sat there ____________, a fisherman pulled up, threw us a rope and towed (拖) us back. We were ____________.

Now, every year when my husband pulls our camper out of the garage, we are filled with a sense of ____________, wondering what camping fun and ____________ we will experience next.

4 . A lot of travelers who are going to new cities are often told to begin their trips by a bus tour. This thinking is that they can then go to the places that_______them. But that is wrong. What you see from the inside of a moving bus is_______and removed from the real sights, sounds, and smell outside. So the best way to experience any place is on foot and with absolutely no travel plan._______go wherever your feet and your interests_______you.

You will not only get to the_______sites that are on the bus tour—the museums, the monuments, city hall—but you will have seen much more. You will have_______the present life of the city.

But there is a problem: What if I got lost? No one ever gets_______lost in a major city. At first you can find your way back to a well-known place. If it frightens you to be “lost” , just find a taxi and go back to where you started ; however, the_______things can happen if you get lost. You can_______at a sidewalk cafe to sit and have a rest. You can ask the local people near you. And__________they don’t speak your language, your trip becomes more memorable because of the__________. Here are a few more ways to get the most out of your travel.

First, know before you go.__________a few hours before your trip learning about the history and culture of your destination.

Second, move around like a local. Use the subways and buses of the city you are__________. You will not only save money, but also learn how people really live.

Third, check the bulletin boards. Sometimes you can find advertisements for free concert, and__________fun activities on bulletin boards around universities.

So the next time you see a travel poster wishing you to have a bus tour, just save your money. Instead, wander__________I promise you a time you will remember with great pleasure.