By Shivali Shah, Staff Writer
After the last bell on the final day of school rings, stresses about schoolwork are quickly replaced with enthusiasm for summer vacation. Students eagerly anticipate days at the beach, trips with friends and family along with the promise of fun and excitement.
Students and their families seek to make the most of these summer months, a time for adventure and exploration, by visiting a variety of countries and exciting destinations. Sophomore Gabi Muñiz describes her vacation itinerary, “I’m going to Prague, Berlin, Portugal… Costa Rica, and Canada.” Similarly to Gabi, Sophomore Nika Nikhinson is going to Greece, “It’s like my dream vacation,” she explains. “There’s a lot to see and learn, [my family and I] go to places where there’s an abundance of things to do, so we can learn about the culture and the history of the destination.”
As well as relaxing trips, many people travel abroad in search of fulfillment, by taking part in various volunteer activities or programs. Gabi explained that she will be participating in“ a service initiative trip with volunteer projects helping sea turtles” while she’s in Costa Rica.
These students’ vacation plans showcase a larger trend among travelers when choosing a summer destination. Sightseers tend to prioritize rich cultural experiences and look to expand their horizons. . Vacations “ are really fun because they’re such a good opportunity to go outside your comfort zone, learn about different cultures, and experience things you can’t experience here,” Gabi describes.
Besides the thirst for adventure, one thing almost all vacationers strive to get far away from the normalcy of home, Nika explains her thinking, “We’re not going to go to South Dakota or something, because to be quite honest, there’s nothing there.” Gabi agrees, stating, “You’re not going to find a nice tropical beach in Maryland.”
Despite the excitement for summer vacation, some students feel that vacations take a huge chunk out of their summer, leaving less time for other activities such as studying, summer jobs, or hanging out with friends. “It takes a lot of my summer. I can’t really do any summer classes or get a job,” Gabi says, “I think it would be really hard [to have a job during the summer] because I’m going to be gone for probably a month in total, and you can’t really do that if you have a job.” However, Gabi believes it’s worth it, “Even though I am missing out on some things, it’s so much better to be able to go out, explore the world, and learn about different cultures. It’s such a unique experience.”
In contrast to Gabi’s concerns, Nika believes “it’s the best part of [her] entire year, and definitely the best part of [her] summer.” In fact she says, “It kinda creates a schedule, I get to base things around when we’re going.”
The days of high school and childhood are fleeting, with only a couple of years until students are off into their adult lives. It’s important to utilize the last few months of summer you have with family and friends, to balance the commitments of school with moments of leisure. As Gabi reflected, “I’m really happy that I’m going on vacation and I’m really grateful that I get to go because I probably won’t always get to do this. When I go to college, [summer vacations] are not going to be something I’ll get to experience as often… You have to seize what you have now. Life isn’t all about school or all about getting a job, you should still be able to enjoy yourself.”