As we enter the new year, we are excited to introduce our next Student of the Month! Ryann L. from Saskatchewan travelled with her teacher and classmates to Italy and Greece, seeing the sights and experiencing the best of these exciting Mediterranean destinations. Read more about her adventures below!
Written by Ryann L. from Saskatchewan
January 12, 2020
Hello, my name is Ryann, and two years ago I went on a two-week trip to Europe visiting Italy and Greece. This trip forever changed my life in many ways, [because] over the two weeks, I got to experience new cultures and learn a lot about myself in the process.
Boat tour of the island of Capri!
We first landed in Rome, Italy where we spent the first couple of days exploring the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, and many more historical sites. We had extremely knowledgeable tour guides and leaders. We proceeded through Italy, exploring many different cities and visiting historical sites along the way. [Along with guided tours], we had some free time almost every day to go explore on our own, which I found to be very important time because it gave each individual person the chance to see what [was most] important to us or go back to revisit something in more detail. There were some days that were busier than others, but every day was so educational, and I have never had more fun in my life. Before this trip, I never thought travelling would be such an important part of my future but after getting home from Europe I could not wait to get on another flight and explore so many more parts of the world.
Italy was just the first part though! After our adventure through Italy had come to a close, we flew to Greece, where we travelled to different cities and saw more beautiful culture. The last three days of our trip were [spent on] a cruise to different islands including Santorini, Crete, and Mykonos, which was absolutely unreal. Personally, the cruise was my favourite part of the whole trip because of the places we got to visit – those islands were so beautiful and so completely [special] compared to what we [see at home] every day. Nothing, not even a picture, can explain the [sights] and interactions with new cultures, [or the] way of life that one experiences.
On the island of Mykonos!
Throughout the whole trip you are challenged as a young adult to be mature and responsible for yourself and your belongings, which I believe grows you in a lot of ways. I also learned a lot about being with people because staying in hotel rooms with the same people for two weeks can sometimes get difficult… but you learn how to deal with each other as you go. I made some of the best memories of my life on this trip, along with some of my best friends today. It is so important as a young adult to go do these things before you have the responsibilities of an adult. So many people never get to experience other parts or the world and don’t get to see new cultures, beliefs, and ways of living. It opens your eyes and allows you to… be responsible, and respectful of new countries, and grows you as an adult in a huge way. I would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and [I believe it is] so important to see other parts of the planet that we live on. [The photos are] from some of my favourite places, but remember these pictures don’t do these beautiful places justice at all!
Teachers, do you have an exceptional student who has a way with words? Or an articulate student with an interest in writing? Maybe a reflective student who was bitten by the travel bug and has plenty of amazing adventures to share? Reach out to your travel consultant or to Rachel Baitz, Marketing Coordinator at Rachel.Baitz@explorica.com for more info on how they can be our next Student of the Month!
Be sure to check back here for another student’s amazing adventure!
Wow!! That was an amazing account of your travel experience, Ryann. You are so right; travel has so much to offer, not just the sights, but the growth and experiences are invaluable.