While some will spend their summer hitting the beach and sofa, junior Sara Tennant will be occupying hers with a trek across Europe. Traveling with Bold Earth, a program for high schoolers that provides adventure through travel camps to all corners of the world, the 28 day trip will cover destinations in Spain, France and Italy. The junior will be accompanied by fourteen other high school students from around the globe to be immersed in community service, culture, and outdoor adventure.
“I’m going on this trip because I’ve never been to Europe and I love the outdoors,” Tennant said. “I didn’t want to stay in hotels and be in the cities the whole time; I wanted to be camping and backpacking and rock climbing.”
Some outdoor activities include late-night hikes, white water rafting, rock climbing, waterfall rappelling, days of bike riding, and camping. City highlights such as Paris’s Louvre and Florence’s Historic City sightseeing.
“I’m looking forward to exploring the cities we are visiting, meeting new people, and adventuring in the Alps,” Tennant said.
The group of teens will be escorted by two leaders and a van to travel from country to country. Hiking and biking will be the main medium of travel with nights spent camping or in small hostels, a room with multiple bunk beds.
The junior considers the outdoors a place where she feels comfortable engaging in outdoor activities and involvement of new experiences.
“Sara loves the outdoors and thrives on adrenaline so we thought this would be not only a good opportunity to learn and be in the cities, but also an opportunity for her to be in her element,” mother Suzette Tennant said.
The journey takes place from June 29th to July 26th. Language, leadership, and life skills will be acquired and tested throughout. Outdoor obstacles such as canyon rappelling, swimming, and climbing in Spain will challenge the participants.
“I just want adventure. I want new people, new places, risk, total immersion. I’m hoping this trip will physically challenge me as well,” Sara Tennant said.
