Summer break is a great time for students to embrace new cultures and take on a journey overseas. Visiting these different places can create new learning opportunities as well as providing an unforgettable experience.

Some students traveled south of North Carolina for an island paradise.

“I first went to the British Virgin Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis and then to San Juan followed by the Bahamas,” senior Garret Schweiner said.

Although, a handful of students decided to travel east of here, and picked from a selection of European countries.

“I visited Spain,” senior Ella Schwalbach said.

Senior Jacob Kiener visited Rome, Paris and Madrid.

“I have to go back. It was amazing, super fun,” Kiener said.

Most students seemed to be overseas for a similar amount of time.

“Three weeks,” senior Aiden Rigby said.

Junior Audrey Remsburger was away for two weeks.

“The time flies, obviously because you are on vacation,” Remsburger said.

Senior Ava Mayer goes in depth on how good the food is overseas, and why it tastes better than what we are all used to back home.

“The food all around Europe was so much healthier than food here in the states. All we ate for three months was pizza, pasta, and gelato, but we lost weight. It also tastes a lot better. The fruit in Italy does not taste as sweet because it’s more natural, and it is not just filled with chemicals to make it taste better,” Mayer said.

Senior Hadley Ayers discovered different cultural habits that she has never experienced before.

“The quietness. I feel it’s a lot safer there. People just walk around at all hours of the night, and nobody cares. The crime rate is so much lower there.”

Junior Kiegan Siegers talked about the diverse scenery and architecture that he saw overseas.

“I loved Berlin. It was so beautiful, but also sad because we visited some of the darker places. It was beautiful to see all of the trees next to buildings made from stone, right next to buildings made completely out of glass. It is also one of the greenest cities in the world,” Siegers said.

Visiting new places comes with staying in cool hotels or rented homes. Remsburger explains how her stay went.

“We stayed in Airbnbs in all six places we went to. They were really nice. Orvieto was my favorite because we were on a plaza. It was just a very aesthetic place with cute little curtains. The other Airbnb’s were okay, but they kept it really cold because they didn’t have any ice,” Remsburger said.

Junior Aidan Nieves explains how these trips were not only about going on vacation, but also to further each student’s knowledge.

“I gained a bunch of history knowledge about the world wars, as well as a bunch of history behind the locations I visited. There was this one church that was built like a Catholic church, and then got repurposed into a mosque, which got repurposed back into a church again,” Nienes said.

Visiting new locations allows students to realize how much bigger life can be, and gives the students a new perspective.

“I learned the importance of life, and how to spend your time. I also learned that work is not the most important thing, and you shouldn’t waste all of your years trying to save for retirement,” senior Ava Mayer said.