Bears around the world: students’ international experiences
After the lessening of travel restrictions, LZ students were able to take international trips across the globe. From Asia to Europe, students made memories, visited unknown places, and came across hardships. Here’s a quick look at what two students had to say about their trips.
Amoga Sridhar, junior
On a trip to India to visit her family and friends, Amoga Sridhar, junior, came back with some unforgettable memories, even with its ups and downs. While in India, Sridhar stayed in the province of Tamil Nadu and visited three cities.
“A favorite place I’ve visited in India is probably Kodaikanal or Kodai for short. Kodai is a hill station, and the climate there is a lot cooler. Kodai is well known for its homemade chocolates and fudges. But other than that, there was your typical South Indian food and tiffin (light breakfast) there, which had a large amount of vegetarian options,” Sridhar said.
While visiting Kodaikanal, Sridhar explored the areas she usually had not gone to before.
“Usually, we would go boating in Kodaikanal as well as horseback riding, but it was really cold and rainy at the time we went. Instead, on the first day, my family and I went to Bryant’s Garden, which is a flower park, and spent time there. Afterwards, we just walked around the lake and stopped at some stores,” Sridhar said. “The next day, me and my family went to Poombarai, a tiny village on the outskirts of Kodaikanal. We went to Mannuvanur Lake, which is a medium sized lake accompanied with trekking sites as well as a beautiful scenery.”
During her three week stay in India, Sridhar also visited Chennai, an urban city on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and Dindigul where her extended family lived. Sridhar noted how spending time with family friends and family was her favorite part of her trip, but also, she was disappointed how her trip ended so quickly.
“I remember at the end of this trip, as me and my family were leaving to Chennai for our flight back, my grandma, my aunt, and my cousin started crying and were begging us to come back next year. They were scared if they will be able to see me next time, or if this time was actually the last time I see them. I knew that I won’t be able to go next year, I’ll only have to go back after I graduate high school. So at the end of the day, I learned to not take the time spent with my family for granted, because once those minutes are gone, there’s nothing I could’ve done to get those minutes back,” Sridhar said.
Asha Spetter, senior
For Asha Spetter, senior, traveling to Europe was nothing new, but she uncovered some new experiences during her 16 days in Spain. Spetter visited several different cities, such as Madrid, Seville, Granada, Ronda, and Gerona. But among all of these locations, she says her favorite was Granada.
“Granada was my favorite city in Spain because of the beautiful atmosphere and the close walking distance of everything there. I would have loved to have spent another night in Granada just to experience the city for a little longer,” Spetter said. “My family travels a lot to explore different areas and cultures so this was another destination for us to cross off our list.”
Although she says she had a great time in Spain, she was reminded that not everything could be perfect.
“Benalmádena was a very touristy area that we went to for the beach, but it didn’t have the best water for swimming. It was still quite fun,” Spetter said.
While on her trip, Spetter says to prepare for the trip, she “researched certain destinations to go to beforehand.”
“It’s important to make sure you have places to secure your belongings, and word of mouth is very important because that’s where you can find the best places to visit,” Spetter said.
This is Jane’s third year on staff and second year as Digital Editor-in-Chief of Bear Facts. Jane is involved in orchestra, Tri-M, NHS, Sinfonietta,...