Photography by OLIVIA SUYDAM
The Colosseum, Rome.
(Editor's note: Mifflin County High School students and counselors recently traveled to Europe. The following article is a personal account of the trip written by Olivia Suydam.)
As the youngest of four children, I was always surrounded by family and never too far from home. So imagine my parents' surprise when I told them I wanted to join the Mifflin County Travel Club and go, more or less alone, for two weeks and see the world. My mother wasn't a fan of the idea at first, but since I was a recent high school graduate, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to have my own adventure.
In the year leading up to the trip, there were lots of sales and fundraisers, information meetings and forms to fill out. Preparing for the trip was a daunting process, making sure everything went smoothly so that the trip itself went as smoothly as possible.
The day we had all been preparing for arrived and all the students, parents and chaperones gathered in the Mifflin County High School teachers' parking lot before heading to New York's JFK Airport. After what seemed like an eternity (actually closer to nine o'clock), we arrived in London and got to work, spending the entire first day, after traveling all night, touring London and struggling against jet lag.
We met our tour guide, Gema, and we all quickly fell in love with her (we even cracked jokes and begged her to come home with us). She stayed with us for about three days in each of the four countries we visited (five if you count the Vatican) and each stop we made had its own unique aspect that made it so special.
Photo by OLIVIA SUYDAM
The Eiffel Tower, Paris.
In London, we saw Big Ben, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and many other popular tourist attractions. I can't speak for everyone, but my favorite part of my visit to the UK was seeing the Tower of London and learning about the history of the tower, such as how it was a fortress, a palace, and a prison. As we walked around the tower, each room was designed to represent the use of that area. So we got to see the royal bedroom, the prison room, where Anne Boleyn was beheaded, the crown jewels, and various other features of this historic landmark. Overall, the architecture was breathtaking and so beautiful, making it a highlight of my trip to the UK.
We then took the train, passing through an underwater tunnel, to the wonderful country of France, where we immediately visited the famous Eiffel Tower. We had the chance to relax after our day of traveling by devoting an entire evening to admiring the tower which displayed the Olympic symbol. Paris will host the 2024 Olympic Games next July, and it is obvious that they are proud of it, because everywhere you look there is some kind of emblem promoting the event.
We also spent a day visiting the Louvre, home of the Mona Lisa. Although the museum was very busy and crowded with people from all over, it was an incredible experience to see the thousands of exhibits and all the artworks from different cultures. The tour leaders and our guide organized a fun treasure hunt. We (the students) divided into groups and went to explore the works of art.
Unfortunately, at this point in our trip, people were starting to get sick, and when you put a handful of sick students on a bus with everyone else, disaster is inevitable. Sure, we ended the trip with almost everyone having fought off the cold that had attacked us, but I think it brought us closer together as we bonded over wondering who had tissues or cough drops to share with the group.
Despite the illness that spread through the group, we managed to continue having fun and leave by train for Barcelona, the hometown of our wonderful Gema. After a long day of traveling, we were able to run down to the beach and dip our feet in the water. There is no better feeling than that of the Mediterranean Sea flowing beneath your feet.
Photography by OLIVIA SUYDAM
The garden of Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
Our main attractions in Spain were the beautifully performed flamenco dancing we saw as well as the walking/bus tour of Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. We didn't just do some sightseeing in Barcelona, we also got to get our hands dirty “A taste of Spain.” We were lucky enough to be welcomed by a team of cooks who taught us how to prepare tapas and paella. This was a little out of my area of expertise, since I usually only cook mac and cheese and Kraft chicken nuggets, but the chefs were kind and patient and the food they prepared was delicious.
For our final leg, we flew to Italy to spend the last three days of our trip in the sun. The first day was spent on buses and planes, so the evening was the perfect opportunity to relax in our beautiful hotel, sunbathing, reading and chatting by the pool.
However, the next day we got back on our feet to visit the Pope's summer residence. The current Pope does not use this property, which is why he opened it to the public so everyone could enjoy the beautiful gardens. We then headed to Vatican City (our fifth and final country) in the scorching heat and were able to walk around the inside of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. We spent our last day seeing other popular and beautiful parts of Roman history, including my favorite part of the trip, the Colosseum. Being able to walk around where the gladiator fights took place was so interesting. We ended our last night in Rome by heading back to the hotel to pack up, as the next day would be a full day of traveling back to the States.
We left the hotel at 6:45 AM (European time) and didn't get back to MCHS until around 2 AM (American time). It was a bittersweet goodbye to Europe, but it was a real heartbreak to part ways with Gema, who had such an impact on all of our lives.
This trip with Mifflin County Travel Club was truly a unique experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone in many ways. Not only did I become a "World Traveler," I made so many new friends with classmates that I had been at school with for so long, but had never spoken to until now. The bonds formed on this trip were truly beautiful as we orchestrated pranks, formed jokes, and laughed so much that we were timing each other trying to board our bus at full speed on the side of the road.
Photography by OLIVIA SUYDAM
Palace of Westminster, London.
We will all always be connected by the memories (and illness) we shared on this journey, and none of us will ever forget that we are the group of 39 seconds.
Goodbye Europe, until we meet again.
•••
Olivia Suydam is a 2024 graduate of Mifflin County High School. She is currently a summer reporter intern at The Sentinel.
Photography by OLIVIA SUYDAM
A cathedral in London.
