1 . 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.

2 . 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.

3 . Kimberly and I had planned a trip to Europe for a long time, but we encountered some curveballs. Getting the departure time wrong, we had to ________ from the original train trip to a ship one.

Boarding the ship, we ________ it was not like a spacious hotel. The room was incredibly tight. The ________ in the small bathroom was a spout (喷头) connected to the sink. You turned it on and sprayed yourself,________ the rest of the room.

The week-long ship travel was full of ________. There were people from diverse backgrounds speaking different languages. We had stopovers on ________ of all sizes, where we cycled 30-40 kilometers. Then there were whole gales (狂风) — so fierce that even the buses couldn’t pass for safety ________. So finally we ________ back home.

We still appreciated the experience. Our real passion was about the ________ rather than the destination — the missed rides, the ________ ship, the mixture of cultures, and all the ________.

Sometimes people are so ________ to their comfortable life that it scares them to be off the beaten track. Yet, once out of their comfort zone, the different experiences are what actually ________. Mixing things up, trying new things, seeing something through another person’s eyes, being ________ to adventure — this is how you create ________.

4 . While beach vacations may be a great way to take your mind off work, lakes surrounded by mountains make for an even more wonderful experience. If you are looking for some peace on your vacation, we have some recommendations for you in the Caucasus (高加索).

Lake Sevan

Lake Sevan is located in the central part of Armenia, in the Gegharkunik province. It is the largest lake in Armenia, 6,200ft above sea level. Along the lake shore, there are various accommodations such as resorts and hotels with plenty of activities to take part in such as windsurfing, swimming and sunbathing. While there, do not forget to visit one of the famous cultural sites with remarkable history, the Sevanavank Monastery, and it offers a great view of the lake as well.

Paravani Lake

Paravani Lake, 6,801ft above sea level, is in the south of Georgia, near the Javakheti Plateau. At this level, altitude sickness can appear and it is a good idea to be prepared to adapt to it properly, or bring medicine for altitude sickness. Being a volcanic lake makes for a more interesting experience. The lake is best known for fishing. Do not come here during the winter months when the lake freezes.

Lake Cildir

Lake Cildir is in the Ardahan province, east Turkey, near the borders of Georgia and Armenia. It is a large freshwater lake of eastern Turkey, and many tourists don’t notice this beautiful attraction. Lake Cildir is surrounded by mountains of the Caucasus. The lake freezes during late November. If the winter is not extremely cold, you can try some lake activities like ice skating and ice fishing.

Lake Van

Lake Van is the must visit of all lakes in this list, the largest lake in Turkey. Lake Van is on the eastern shore of Turkey and is also the most accessible lake there. It’s 5,380ft above sea level, and unique to many lakes around the world: the water is high in salt content.

5 . Central Park

Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let’s have a look at its main sights.

Central Park is New York’s largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km²). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.

Besides being the city’s primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).

To get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park we suggest walking. However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.

If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

From 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Entry to the Park is free. But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.

Subway: Line 5, 6, 7, A, B, C and D．

Bus: Line M1, M2, M3, M4 and M10.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)

Guggenheim Museum (564 m)

American Museum of Natural History (688 m)

Whitney Museum of American Art (1 km)

The Frick Collection (1.3 km)