Overseas travels create rewarding experiences

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Courtesy of Rhea Sinha

Freshman Rhea Sinha goes horseback riding in Kashmir.

With summer right around the corner, there is more time for traveling outside of the country. Junior Ava Dalessandro said traveling has created good memories and unlikely friendships.

“Last summer, a few of my friends and I went on an Education First Tour to France and Spain and it was super-fun,” she said. “We met kids from other states and schools that I still keep in contact with.”

Dalessandro and the friends who went on the trip with her shared some memories that they still reference,.

“[One day] we had a beach day in Barcelona,” she said. “The beach was so nice and we all played beach volleyball together for hours.”

While in India last summer, freshman Rhea Sinha had an unusual cultural encounter.

“While I was at a hotel, I was walking behind a big group of people,” she said. “I just happened to overhear what they were saying and I realized they were speaking Spanish, which I found really surprising. [My mom] introduced us to them, and we ended up talking. I learned they were tourists from Spain and it was such an amazing experience. It really goes to show how amazing language can be.”

Freshman Alina Silaghi said she plans to continue her annual tradition of traveling to Romania and Switzerland this summer. Silaghi said she and her family have gone on many excursions in the mountains, leaving her with unforgettable stories.

“One time, one of us fell off the sled and [my sibling] was tumbling down at the same speed as the sled,” she said. “It was kind of hilarious.”

Sophomore Suhina Mitra, who has traveled to 47 countries, reminisced on the most interesting country she’s visited.

“In South Africa, going on safaris was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said. “I also loved the landscape of the country and the locals were very welcoming.”

By Elena Konicki