Sherbrooke Record e-Edition

The Travelling Boot

By Savannah Mace

HAge 15, Secondary 3 Richmond Regional High School

ow important is travel to you? For the teens of Richmond Regional High School that enrolled in the Travel Club program, along with the organizer, Lori Cloutier, it is extremely significant. It has expanded their knowledge of the world and opened new doors to so many possibilities.

Travel Club has been an option at RRHS for 15 years now and it is developing further, with more and more interest. “When kids come back from a trip, they are more mature. [Travelling] instills confidence. You can see the world and you can see that we don’t all live the same, we do things differently but that’s just fine,” says Cloutier.

Though it used to be open only to year three students, it recently changed. Now, all students attending from years three to five have the ability to sign up and can go multiple times if they wish. The trip itself varies every year and several fundraisers take place before to help with the cost. The best one in Lori’s opinion was Italy, which was this year’s visit!

Coming back from Italy I felt like I wanted to see more. Being there was surreal! I was already in love with travelling, but going to a whole other continent, across the ocean, was different. From the moment I embarked on the plane, it was like I was leaving reality, and living in a dream. I disconnected from all my problems and worries that roamed my mind, leaving all of the negativity behind as we took off. I had never had this strong of a feeling, which really is an understatement, that I was off to do great things. I didn’t know what to expect, only that I wanted it to be epic, and it was way more than that.

For many, this was their first time travelling, so a nine-hour flight was nerve-racking, but undoubtedly worth it. This opportunity was beyond amazing. How lucky were we to open our eyes and see different people, cultures, and foods (like Gelato, which we ate every day…at least once! “We ate our weight in pasta,” comments Lori.)? We were the biggest group ever for Richmond, 41 counting the five chaperones who came with us from school.

It was a 10-day excursion starting in Verona, famous for Juliet’s balcony and the statue of her in the same square, where people believe there lies good luck in love. The trip then navigated us through Venezia’s (Venice) multiple islands, enjoying cultural traditions and beautiful scenery, a glass-blowing demonstration and even a half-hour gondola ride through the canals! We followed through with Firenze (Florence), a deep dive into its history and for those interested in architecture, the tower of Pisa!

After this beautiful city, the next destination was Assisi, a whole day surrounded by a medieval castle and narrow cobblestone streets! Of course, ending the day with a visit through its gorgeous “Basilica of St. Francis.” Next destination, Roma (Rome). We took a guided tour through the Vatican City, its Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. A quick lunch break and then the Colosseum, where gladiators fought for entertainment around 80 AD! We proceeded to visit the Trevi fountain, to toss a coin over our left shoulder to make a wish, and then enjoyed Rome at night. Finally, onto Pompeii, its ruins, and the story of how it was destroyed by ash.

We finished the last day next to vendors selling souvenirs to bring back cherished memories. Then, just as we thought the trip had come to an end and we were heading back to our families, we were surprised with a cancelled flight and an extra day, stuck in Rome. It was arranged for us to spend a day at the beach in Ostia. Despite the fact it took a toll on most of us to extend our time away from home, we had a fantastic, and spontaneous day filled with unforgettable moments, one of which we played baseball with a stick and a water bottle filled with sand!

This initiative, travelling the world, is associated with the organization EF Educational Tours, which allows students not only to see the world’s wonders, but to learn how to manage money, handle responsibility mostly on their own, and earn independence. From the very beginning, we were assigned an EF tour guide who helped us see through the locals’ eyes efficiently. Giving us historic details and teaching us the basics of the Italian language that I still carry to this day. She told us that if we were to make an effort to try to connect with the people, we would have a better experience.

There are two different types of travellers: tourists and explorers. Whichever one you choose makes a difference in your trip. In Italy we were explorers. We got the richness of the country, the core of its existence. I definitely gained multiple things during this expedition. First of all, adventure is the best way to appreciate the world we live in. Getting out of your comfort zone and changing the scene you get inspiration from. What’s more is that you can imagine this feeling, but when you really live it, it is mind-blowing. Secondly, I got closer to my friends, growing an even deeper connection with them.

If you are hesitating about whether to sign up or not to some kind of travel club like this one or simply go on a trip, ask yourself what kind of traveller you would like to be, and what you want to obtain by seeing the world. There’s a whole network of experiences and adventures out there that our minds might never comprehend, and to me that is beautiful. We are all living simultaneously, yet we each have our own unique experiences, if we take the leap.

EDITORIALS

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2023-03-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

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