I am on vacation in Spain for the first time. I was invited to go to Spain and attend the Tae Kwon Do World Championship in Vigo. Unfortunately, the day before my departure, the organizer of my trip, who was part of the Tae Kwon Do festivities, had to cancel, leaving me with a week in Spain and no itinerary. While I was very disappointed to miss the meeting with my friend, the opportunity to fill a week in Spain was rather exciting. I chose to go to Barcelona first. I had heard many wonderful things about the city (stay tuned to hear more about my experience in blogs to come), but the Long Island Youth Orchestra heavily influenced my decision to come to Barcelona. I traveled the world with that orchestra for five summers in high school and college. We were 85 students strong during the five summers I toured, and I covered every continent except South America. I believe I missed the South America tour by just a year or two. Before re-routing my ticket from Vigo to Barcelona, I saw the orchestra was giving its first concert at the Conservatori de Lucea in Barcelona and I knew I had to attend. Yesterday morning, I ventured out into the city and found the orchestra rehearsing, even running into a few old friends still with the group. It brought me back to some of the most phenomenal experiences of my young adult life. Those experiences helped shape me and led me down the career path I am on today. To see the students on stage — some seasoned veterans, some taking their first tour — made me proud to be a member of this special alumni group. It made me happier to thank the man who made it all happen, Mr. Martin Dreiwitz, who founded the organization in 1962. While I was at first disappointed to hear my plans had been canceled, it turned out just fine. If they had not been canceled, I would have never seen LIYO in Spain. I had a chance to remember why I love traveling the world and reconnect with my roots. Tomorrow, I am en route to Madrid. The orchestra heads to Mallorca. I can only imagine what adventures await the students, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of Spain has in store for me! — Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
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FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
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