Written by Cloyd B., Group Leader
May 19, 2020
Cloyd’s photo albums
The transition from winter to spring has certainly been an interesting one this year, and as such, I made the conscious decision to turn obstacles into opportunities and initiate some spring cleaning. As I meandered through collections of books, glanced at the job jar my wife left for me, and resisted the temptation to open the fridge for the third time this morning, something dawned on me.
An unforgettable view!
Over the course of six trips taken before the digital era, my students and I captured images and highlights of our tours with none other than 35 mm cameras. I managed to track down four photo albums (yes, they still exist!) of our trips from 2004- 2011. As I turned page after page, I was struck by the incredible joy and fascination I saw on the faces of my many travellers. As we revelled at the Trevi Fountain, walked the ruins of Pompeii, and took in the mystique of Paris, it’s wonderful to see how they had all fully immersed themselves in the travel experience. For many, these trips represented their first time overseas, away from their parents, and without exception, they seized the opportunity to count themselves among the ranks of “World Travellers”.
Sitting among these albums and physical memories of trips long gone, I was struck by the good fortune that I still maintain great relationships with many of these students to this day. Rarely does a period of time go by when I don’t receive an e-mail from one of my travellers. While most have expanded their travel repertoires, I still hear from a good many that they have re-visited the same destinations from our previous tours. How awesome is that! My students had a great introduction to travelling and experiencing the world in a safe, educational fashion made possible through our relationship with WorldStrides Explorica. It is from this initial opportunity that so many of my travellers had a passion for travel ignited, a passion that still burns brightly for many to this day.
Reminiscing over ‘sweet’ memories
On that note, as an educator and traveller, I strongly recommend taking some time over the coming weeks to re-visit your past travel experiences. This can only serve to brighten your day knowing that you have helped create a lifetime of very special memories!
Take care everyone, and stay safe.