Humans are naturally curious beings. From the very beginning, those who walked the earth ventured off to find new places and began to create inventions that serviced their daily lifestyle. Over decades, the beauty of places all over the world has been uncovered. Adventure can be endless, and there is always a new place waiting to be explored.

Starting with the fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania; Erie. This city is located south of the Lake Erie shore and holds a population of 94,831.

Its great name holds history of the Native American Erie people living there until the mid-17th century. Erie is also called the Gem of the Great Lakes due to its accessibility to the oceans in the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River network located in Canada.

Like nearby areas, its climate has four seasons that have warm summers which are followed by harsh and snowy winters.

A student from Hempfield High School, Savana Rife, visited the city of Erie this past summer and shared her favorite parts, “My favorite part was definitely watching the sunsets. They lit up the sky in ways I have never seen here in Lancaster. The clouds were bright oranges and the sky was always blue.”

The next place is just a two-hour-drive from Lancaster Pennsylvania.

Washington D.C. is known as the capital city and federal district of the United States. Though it is commonly referred to as D.C. it is formally known as the District of Columbia. The first president, George Washington, was the influence for the city name.

It is located alongside the Potomac River, meaning the land sits across from Virginia and shares a border with Maryland.

Before Washington D.C. became the national capital, it was said to be nine cities that served as capitals. Years later on July 9, 1790, the residence act was passed by Congress which approved the capital being along the Potomac River. The exact location was chosen by George Washington just 7 days later on July 16.

A student from Penn Manor High School, Khaneesha Rios, visited this historical city this past summer and shared her thoughts, “I enjoyed visiting all the memorials. It showed a lot of history and I loved walking on the warm summer days to view the important places. I think big history fans should visit D.C. to learn more about it or even revisit the sights because they are really neat.”

Time to hop on a plane for a 10-hour-flight to Munich, Germany. Germany is a country in Central Europe that lies between the Baltic and North Sea. It hosts a population of over 82 million people in its sixteen constituent states. The most populated city is Berlin, which is also the capital. It borders the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Denmark.

There are several differences between Germany and the United States. One is that their official language is German and they have a euro currency. They have not only a president but a chancellor too.

Hempfield High School student, Emmy Smith, traveled around Germany with her German class this past summer, “I really liked Germany. The architecture is so different from here in Pennsylvania. There is so much history that you can see and I think it’s a great place to experience visiting.”

As the students each shared, there is beauty in all places. There are so many places that remain unexplored waiting to be discovered. Whether it is a city, mountain, beach, or countryside there is a place for everyone to admire or find a home in. View the world in a different perspective each day.