Last summer, 35 students and six chaperones went on an EF educational trip last summer. Two of the chaperones were engineering teacher Ryan Higgins and history teacher Tyler Brietzke. The group traveled to Italy and Greece. Students were able to experience authentic culture and travel throughout the countries.
“Our trip abroad to Greece and Italy was an incredible experience,” Brietzke said. “It was the highlight reel of all things Greece and Italy, with trips to the Acropolis, Delphi, the Vatican, the Roman Colosseum and the Forum. Not to mention all the great food that both countries have to offer.”
Higgins and Brietzke both agree that the trip was a changing experience filled with new experiences.
“I had never been to the Vatican before,” Brietzke said. “To see the Sistine Chapel and walk the hallowed grounds was something I’ve always wanted to experience. I’ve also never been to Greece, so getting to see Athens and the Acropolis was incredibly memorable.”
Higgins loved the cultural cuisine. “I love trying the local foods. That is always the first thing I look into when deciding on a new trip location,” he said. I love both Greek and Italian foods.”
Although Higgins has been to both countries before, he still found a lot of enjoyment in the trip. “There wasn’t much of a shock, but I do delight in the subtle cultural differences between the US and Europe,” he said.
Junior Delaney Kuper was one of the students who went on the trip. “My experience in general was interesting to say the least, the different customs and language in Greece and Italy made the trip a little more difficult,” she said.
She understood the language better in Italy than Greece, but tried the food everywhere. “I tried to try at least one new food each day,” she said. “I did and I learned I don’t like a lot of cultural or just everyday foods.”
“My favorite part was the Colosseum or the castle inside the city walls of a small town we visited before getting on the ferry for Italy,” Kuper said. “The views were beautiful, the land around the castle was cool to look at, and the weather was nicer up there.”
Other trips are already in the works for the future. Any students interested in an EF trip to Japan can go see Childers in room A217.
