Travel Stories

Highlights from Travelling Around the World, by Braden Danner

January 12-14 I traveled to Frankfurt, GERMANY where I met up with some English friends who live and work in Frankfurt as translators. We had a great dinner--one of my friends is quite the cook--and then we went on together in an overnight bus-ride to Prague.

January 14-16 We met up with a friend of mine from USC who is teaching English in Prague (CZECH REPUBLIC) and we all toured around the city enjoying the pastel colored buildings, the relaxing atmosphere and the beautiful weather we happened to have while we were there. What an awesome weekend!

January 17-18 Then I was off to spend one night in Bangkok where after my first ride in a TUK TUK (a three-wheeled taxi -- like a cross between a motorcycle and a jinrickshaw), I had what I have decided was probably the single most delicious meal of my entire trip! Some of that Thai food is like nothing else!

January 18-22 More great food in Hong Kong (CHINA) that I enjoyed with an American friend whom I met in my journey (photo attached). We enjoyed going around the city together and I ventured out to many places including the peak that overlooks the city as well as to the street market area of Mongkok, the most densely populated place on the planet (and you could feel it too)!

January 22-25 I was going to try to visit the Great Wall of China, but the trip was going to be quite expensive from Hong Kong, so the balmy tropical weather, the delicious food and perhaps most of all the $3.50 USD a night hotel rooms of Bangkok called me to return to THAILAND. This time I stayed in Bangkok for a few days. I met some more cool friends from the UK and together we decided that my 'fro had to go--so I got a mohawk for about $2.50 USD. I love how inexpensive things are in Thailand most of my delicious meals were around $2.00-3.00 in restaurants!

January 25- February 5 Off to OZ! AUSTRALIA is a land filled with unique wildlife, beautiful beaches and people with cool accents! I spent time in Melbourne, Daylesford, Newcastle, Nelson's Bay and Sydney exploring the cities, country-side and beaches of Oz with one friend I have known for years, another Ozzie friend I met while in Hungary last August, and with some other friends that I met for the first time while there in Oz. I felt like I only scratched the surface of this huge country!

February 5-17 NEW ZEALAND--WHERE DO I BEGIN? O man do I love this place! Not only some of the most beautiful and untouched places I've ever seen, but also some of the most hospitable and friendly people in the entire world! The world's best hosts! It's the kind of place you want to keep a secret! (So I'm truly not going to say much else--except that I was in continual awe of the natural beauty as I drove all over the South Island and that I got to go swimming with seals who came within inches/centimeters of my face! Oh, and some great steak pies too with mashed potatoes and mango chutney! Mmmmm!)

February 17-24 I spent the final week of my journey around the world in Hawaii to get in one final relaxing week before returning to LA. It was my first time in Hawaii and I absolutely loved it! Kauai was the most beautiful place I've ever been in all of the world! I had no idea when I planned my trip that I would feel this way about Kauai--but how fitting that it was the last place that I went--saving the best for last! I also had great fun on Oahu with one of my best friends from college, another friend from LA, her roommates and their cat Kilohe (pronounced KEE-LOW-HAY = Hawaiian for "rascal" and this rascal stole my heart). My buddy from college and I went all over the island, met some great people, went snorkeling with tropical with a sea turtle and other tropical marine life, and finished the week with a beautiful and tasty Luau at Paradise Cove on the West Coast--my last sunset away from home!

February 24- I flew into Los Angeles over a sea of colorful lights. I felt like they were welcoming me back to LA--and I was excited to return. I do love LA--even though I could tell from looking out of my window that the 405 freeway was jammed, it felt good to be coming home to California after 9 months of travel. It may be hard to believe--I actually have trouble believing it myself, but even as I traveled all over the world, my heart never left LA. I think it is because I am so excited about acting again. I have been looking forward to acting in LA since I was very young and I'm finding that now I have the opportunity as never before--returning to LA having completed my studies, my travels and right as the pilot season here in Hollywood is about to surge to its peak! I can't wait to see what's going to happen!

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