Beautiful overlook view of the Grand Canyon. Photo Credits: Alyssa Graham
by Bridget Flaherty, Feature Desk Lead
Summer break is a time when students get to rest from their hectic 9 month school routine and focus on things they enjoy. Traveling is a popular summertime activity among students. Last school year, a few students shared what trips they were planning to go on during the summer. Now that they have returned, they have been eager to share what they experienced on their trips.
Ella Jennings, senior, was able to travel to Italy with EF Tours, a company that organizes educational travel for students. Jennings had the chance to explore several cities including Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Pisa. EF Tours takes a large group of students on their travels. Jennings was able to interact with many different people as well as several of her close friends during her stay in Italy.
“I knew I would be traveling with my best friend, Elizabeth, but I made so many connections with the other people I traveled with,” Jennings said. “It was so wonderful to become so close with a group of people I didn't know very well before.”
Although Jennings stayed in many different places during her trip, one of the most memorable places was Florence where she stayed in the downtown city’s center.
“We were able to spend the evenings exploring Florence when it had cooled off,” Jennings said. “We watched the sunset from the Ponte de Vecchio, and it was such a sweet moment.”
During Jennings's stay in Italy, she most enjoyed visiting famous landmarks and immersing herself in the culture. Whether it was watching the sunset from the Ponte de Vecchio or swimming in the freshwater lakes of Tuscany, Jenning’s enjoyed every minute of her stay.
Alyssa Graham, senior, traveled to Arizona this summer with her family. During her weeklong trip, Graham participated in many outdoor activities that revealed to her the beauty of Arizona.
“The most exciting experience was going on the hike down into the Grand Canyon,” Graham said. “It was very hot but the views were amazing.”
Since Graham and her father’s restful getaway, they have already started planning their next endeavor in Colorado.
Callie Finch, senior, got to go to Peru and Brazil. Finch and her father did not have a set agenda but they were still able to experience the wonderful sights that Peru and Brazil have to offer.
“We spent four days in Brazil just exploring all around and we saw the Christ statue which was huge. Then we went to Peru for 12 days and stayed in Cusco,” Finch stated. “We spent our time doing some of the hardest hikes I have ever done, they about killed me because the altitude there is super high, and at one point we were at 17,000 feet.”
This trip was a fun bonding experience for Finch and her dad, where they got to visit picturesque places together and immerse themselves in different cultures. Even when the trip had its setbacks they still had amazing outcomes from every encounter.
“On our first day we missed our flight and had to hang around the airport for like seven hours— which was not ideal,” Finch explained. “ But I ended up getting to meet the national Peruvian soccer team at the airport. It was awesome.”
During these incredible summer vacations, students were able to spend time with their loved ones and experience once in a lifetime opportunities. These trips gave these students a break from their school life and allowed them to embark on new and exciting adventures.
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