While some students traveled to South America this summer, others went to Europe — more specifically, France. While on the trip, the students were able to visit many popular landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, La Louvre, Notre Dame,
as well as some others.
A student that was able to go on this trip was senior Rylee Flickinger.
“I would love to go back,” she said. “The arts, cafes, culture, everything was amazing. My absolute favorite part of the trip was everything in Paris. Lots of people say Paris is overrated or people are rude but I loved every second of it.”
They were fortunate enough to be able to see various parts of France, and the trip gave students enrolled in French class an opportunity to experience what it was like there.
Social studies teacher Mr. Dan Campanaro was a chaperone on the trip.“The objectives were to expose kids to what is France,” he said. “The culture, the food, the famous sites, the architecture.” France has a very distinct culture and life than ours. While American life looks to be more work-focused, life in France appears to be more laid-back and family-focused.
“Over the course of the eleven days, I think friendships were made and built,“ Campanaro said. “It built some relationships between teachers and students and students and students.”
Junior Emma Chung spoke about why she traveled to France.
“I chose to go on the trip because I wanted to learn more about French history and the landmarks there,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in well-known landmarks like the Eiff el Tower and The Arc de Triomphe, so it was really cool to actually see those in person. The whole trip was super fun, but my favorite place was probably Nice. The beaches there were beautiful, and the water was crystal clear. There are also a lot of cool statues and monuments to visit around the city.”
Given that the trip lasted only roughly two weeks, there was a lot going on every day. Whether it was traveling on foot, taking a different route, swimming, or grabbing a bite to eat, there was always something to do.
“The daily schedule was to get up, eat breakfast, typically a pain au chocolat, get on the bus or train, and visit landmarks,” Flickinger said. “After that, we went to dinner and had three courses every night.”
Nearly every day, they had to rise early and travel to a different area of France. Although extremely busy, their schedule was worth it.
“After dinner we would sometimes have free time, where we could go out and explore the city on our own.” Chung said. Without any hesitation, those who traveled there they would go back to France if given the chance.
“Honestly, if you asked me if I could live anywhere in the world it would be the left-wing of Paris,” Flickinger said.
Chung agreed.
“I would 100 percent go back if I could,” she said. “I would love to spend a semester there in college. I think the culture and history is so interesting there. I also love how diverse the landscape is. Northern France is completely different from southern France.”
The school trip was such a great opportunity for the students to explore a Travels Art, culture and cuisine: HHS students travel to France new country, make new friends, and learn history around the world.
“As much as we learned and experienced,” Flickinger said. “There is still so much over there to learn.”
French teacher Miss Susan Schilling reflected on the trips she’s taken over the years.
“I have to admit, I’ve been to France quite a few times, but traveling with my students is such a joy for me,” she said. “Nothing warms my heart more than seeing my students get excited and fall in love with something like the sights, the sounds and the smells of one of my favorite places in the world.”
