Over the Fourth of July weekend, students in the Cross Cultural Internship Program (www.theccip.com) took a break from New York City to visit Niagara Falls and Boston. Chartering a bus, the group left early Friday morning for the nine hour drive up to Niagara Falls, a collection of three waterfalls that sit along the border between the United States and Canada.

Plans for the trip were arranged and finalized by four members of the program's Student Advisory Board, including Dongqing Liu (Cathy), who is a student at Nanyang Technological University. "There is so much of America that I want to see. I knew when I first read about this trip that I wanted to take part because seeing the Niagara Falls in person was something I always wanted to do. They are far more beautiful than any picture could capture."

In addition to taking a walking tour of the Falls, the students also rode a boat for more impressive views of one of the continent's most famous natural wonders.

Cathy's co-leaders for the trip included Chi Ching Lau (Safrina), from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Wing Yan Li (Priscilla), who attends City University of Hong Kong, and Yinfei Xue (Sandra), from Macau University of Science and Technology. Together they arranged meeting times, ensured travel arrangements were set in place, and helped determine what the students did while visiting Boston.

"Once we got to Boston, there was so much to do," Priscilla said. "It's not as big as New York, but it's quieter and I feel like I could have spent many more days there." Among the sites that the students visited were MIT and Harvard University, as well as the famous Quincy Market where they shopped and enjoyed all kinds of food among the crowds of locals and visitors.

"It was cool to be in Boston for the Fourth of July weekend," Sandra added. The current capital of Massachusetts served a central role in the American Revolution and is steeped in history, signified by the Freedom Trail that runs through much of the downtown area. "It's interesting because America is a young country but there is still a lot of history to learn about."

After walking much of the city and watching the fireworks, the students returned to the bus to come back to New York City. On the way, they made a stop in New Haven, Connecticut to visit the prestigious Yale University. There they took pictures and appreciated the beautiful campus which features beautiful architecture and unique works of art.

"It was a long trip, with a lot of details to figure out," said Safrina. "I really think opportunities like this are very important. Not only did I see more of the country, but helping to plan this trip taught me a lot. We had to work together and I needed to trust that my fellow activity leaders would all do their part. I really think this trip was a great success, and I'm so happy I went."