“Personally, I was worried about my money situation. I was nervous that something would come up with the bank while I was gone, and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself and bring back souvenirs and stuff,” said eighteen-year-old Jaden Walker when I asked him about his biggest concerns before leaving for two weeks on Ms. Lange’s 2016 trip to eastern Europe, “I knew it wouldn’t happen, but it was still in the back of my mind the whole time.” Which is a very justified stressor, considering the trip would take him across an entire ocean and onto another continent over 4,000 miles away. The journey would take him along with about 20 others to Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. When I asked him what he was most stoked to experience, he said “I was most excited about seeing how the life was in Europe, and how it differed from home. I wanted to experience the culture, and I was really excited for the food.” Jaden says that a dish called a ‘döner’ was the best thing he ate, and he’s been trying to find a shop that sells them in the states since July, but has come to no luck.
Aside from the experience and the all-around excitement of it all, an interview with Gaby Rodriguez revealed how stressful it was to actually be eligible to attend the trip, she said, “I worked everyday of the summer and school year so that I could pay for it myself, it was stressful but I ended up pulling through.” She says that working so much to pay for the trip put a lot of pressure on her to balance school, a social life, and all the extra shifts she was picking up to make the deadline for the trip. Once the trip was paid for, she said she was so excited that it became hard to focus, and the closer to the trips arrival, the more worried she became about small things. Gaby says that even though there were tons of other things she could have been worried about, her biggest fear was getting lost in the airport, and the only thing that truly worried her after arriving in Europe was the language barrier, claiming she “wanted to be able to communicate,” but it ended up being harder than she thought. In sum, Gaby said they were the best two weeks of her life, and that she’d love to go back someday.
Jackson Hamlet, a Sahuaro High graduate of the class of 2016 says there was nothing better than being able to see the world as a graduation present. “I loved being able to fall asleep on the bus and wake up in a new country,” Jackson adds that it was a ‘truly humbling experience,’ and that Ms. Lange has inspired him to break free from his comfort zone and travel abroad more often. I can say from personal experience, that travelling with Ms. Lange is one of the best opportunities I have ever received, and it is so beneficial toward your soul and independence as well. If you’re ever given the chance to venture off and travel- Do it! It may be stressful, but you’ll be glad you did. See Ms. Lange in room 207 for information on her upcoming summer 2017 trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos islands, or to gather information about any other upcoming tours! You can also check out her website: www.explorica.com/Lange-8421