As Quarter I comes to a close and the 2016-17 school year rolls on, some SHS students are remembering their life changing summer adventures outside of the United States. As a traveler, each trip I take means so much to me, and with the stress of school, it often feels good to remember those fun moments of exploring the unknown. So why is traveling abroad important for students? I posed this question to several SHS students in an effort to find out more about their experiences and perspectives of traveling abroad.

Over the summer, junior Abby LaBreck spent a month abroad in Nantes, France, where she attended school to understand more about student life as well as the education. “I really enjoyed just being able to meet the people and speaking the language,” she said, “it’s such a great opportunity to further your language ability outside of school and out of the country.” LaBreck plans to go back to France next summer, when she will see family and continue learning about the rich culture.

Michael O’Keefe, also a junior, joined the SHS choir summer trip across Europe, visiting Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. “Being immersed in the culture was definitely what I enjoyed the most,” he stated,“we need to experience other cultures and see other ways of life.” O’Keefe hopes that one day he will go France to experience more of the French culture from what he’s been learning here in Scituate.

After interviewing these students, I felt very glad to know there are kids out there who feel the same way I do about traveling. My trip to Germany helped me change how I see the world today. We live in an incredibly big world with millions and millions of people and places that are just waiting to be discovered!