Travel For Teens

When I first signed up for this trip, I knew it would be fun. When I actually went on the trip, I had SOOOO much more fun than I could have ever imagined. The staff was amazing, young and cool. The days were packed with activities that exposed us to the true culture of France. We didn't simply visit "touristy" sites. It was honestly the best time of my life and worth every penny.

I love Travel for Teens and Greece is one of my favorite countries now! The trip was really fun and I wouldn't have changed anything. It was definitely the best trip I've been on. Also, the counselors were really nice and wanted us to have a lot of fun.

I love Travel for Teens and Greece is one of my favorite countries now! The trip was really fun and I wouldn't have changed anything. It was defenitly the best trip i've been on. Also, the counselors were really nice and wanted us to have a lot of fun.

Hey Nic! I just got home, and writing this email is literally the first thing I'm doing. But instead of the elation I expected to feel at my first time on the internet in almost two weeks, I am so so sad! The past 12 days in Sicily have been so much fun that I've tried to abstain from describing it to my parents and sisters out of fear of trivializing it all and not doing the trip justice. I really miss everyone so much already! I was so hard being in the airport in Rome and knowing that half of you were so nearby--I might even have attempted Patrick's wordless pass-the-food arm reach in hopes of making contact through the Force... When Francesca was panicking on the phone all I wanted to do was grab the phone from her just to say hey. I'm not gonna lie, I welled up a little as our next plane took off, which greatly confused the woman next to me. I just wanted to thank you for making such an amazing trip. I really wish it didn't end. I really could go on and on about how much I loved it. I hope Italy II is already awesome. Say hi to Pat and the New Yorkers for me! I miss you all!

Hi Pat!!! I just got home from my second trip, Italy Cinque Terre, a few days ago. I just wanted to thank you sooooo much for the hands down best summer, and experience, of my life. Both of my trips were absolutely perfect from start to finish. I don't think I could have asked for much more from TFT. I remember showing up to the airport on July 8th being so nervous and worried about the whole summer of traveling I had ahead of me. But as soon as I met all the awesome and understanding counselors, and made so many friends right away, I felt totally comfortable. I don't think I have stopped talking about all the friends I made on both trips! Paris and the SOF are now my favorite places in the entire world, and I feel like all the activities we did in both places were so worth while. And you were right about the Cinque Terre - I did fall in love! It was the most incredible scenery I have ever seen, and the work we did there was very rewarding. I can't fully express in words how grateful I am to you and all the counselors and TFT in general, because there is no way I can verbally express how much I loved my summer. I am still so sad that it is over and I miss all the people so much. But I feel so blessed to have ever made such great friends. For me, my trips were both life changing in a way I never thought possible, and I matured greatly through this experience. I am definitely a different person now because of TFT. I never thought I would feel this sad that it is over, but now all I know is I cannot wait for TFT 09! thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

When you live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, visiting a city is a big change to your everyday life. When that city is in a different country, where people drive on the opposite side of the road, and you are with a group of people that you have never met before, it almost seems like it isn’t real. I never knew that it was possible to have the best summer of your life away from family and friends but rather with a group of strangers. Last summer however, it happened to me. Nine of us met at the airport in Newark, New Jersey, nervous about what the next couple of weeks might bring. When we got off the plane, we were in London, England. The apartment we were staying at was in the heart of London so we had a pretty long bus ride before our adventure began. That is where we instantly became lifelong friends. When we finally arrived at the apartment, we were met by eight more people who had arrived the day earlier. I was pretty much the only one who came from a small town. The others mostly came from places like Atlanta, San Diego, and New York City. Two people even came from Paris, France and there was a professional photographer from New Zealand. The majority of the teenagers were very wealthy but a couple of people, like me, had to save up their money and pay for the trip without their parent’s help. The differences in our lifestyles were fairly obvious but we ignored them. For the next 13 days, we were all going to be living the same life. We lived like a family while we were in London. We ate together and spent 24/7 with each other. We visited museums, castles, and went to shows on the West End and at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Stonehenge was just an hour away and that was a sight that none of us will ever forget. While at Stonehenge, we went to nearby Salisbury and saw one of the only remaining original copies of the Magna Carta. We had so much fun that we didn’t even realize how much we were learning about the history of the city, or the city itself. We knew how to use the ‘tube’, also known as the subway, and after our third day, we were able to get back to our apartment without the help of any of our counselors. To an outsider, we must have looked like we had known each other for years because it certainly felt that way. We got along and were always having fun. Some of the best nights were when we were back at the apartment, just hanging out. After London, we flew to Edinburgh, Scotland. We visited sights like Loch Ness and even went inside some amazing castles, including Edinburgh Castle. We walked around the city during the day and at night. Everywhere we went we saw musicians and magicians performing in the streets. Our final dinner was at a very fancy restaurant overlooking Edinburgh Castle. The next day, it was time to say goodbye to some pretty amazing friends. While most of them went home, me and three others boarded a different plane. We were on our way to Ireland, where we were going to meet a whole new group of people and start our adventure all over. Our first few days in Ireland, we stayed at an adventure center. We hung out with the best kite surfer in Ireland and learned how to surf, rock climb, mountain board, and more. We had fun singing around the camp fire on the side of a mountain and ended our stay at the adventure center by climbing Croagh Patrick, one of the tallest mountains in County Mayo. We were told by our counselor that he was pretty sure we were the first ever Travel For Teens group to have everybody climb the whole mountain. Looking off of the top was a moment that I will never forget. The sense of accomplishment was unbelievable. After we left the adventure center, we went to the town of Cong, famous for the John Wayne movie “The Quiet Man”. There we learned the art of falconry, actually getting to handle the falcons ourselves. We rode Irish Cob horses and took a boat ride around a castle. We left there to go to Galway where we went shopping in the city and took a plane ride over the Aran Islands. Our trip to Ireland ended with a fantastic medieval banquet at a real castle. This trip to Europe was an experience of a lifetime and I have no regrets at all about my decision to spend $6,000 for those three weeks I was gone. I made friends from all over the U.S., including France and Canada. From the youngest traveler of 15, to the oldest counselor of 31, we all had a blast and still keep in touch, Not only did I bring back with me a new love for the Beatles, Fish and Chips, and foods that I had never heard of before, but I brought back memories that I will never forget and I also made friends that I will remember forever. I am looking forward to going back next year as a Counselor In Training and making new friends, while also meeting up with some friends that I made this year. Travel For Teens changed my life and helped me become more confident in who I am. I learned to just be myself and to always try new things. If you don’t, then you are never going to be able to experience the best part of life. It’s nice to do something different for once and to just have fun. Seventeen strangers started that journey together, but one big family came back and I am proud to say that we will always be best friends.

Travel For Teens is a fantastic way to see pretty much any country you want to, and do it safely. My parents were very skeptical about letting me vacation abroad, but after talking with TFT, their worries ended. I was never bored on these trips, and not only do you see things you wouldn't see by yourself, but you learn so much in the process. TFT has been part of me finding who I want to be and what I want to do with my life, and I will never forget all the happy memories that I leave with. I am still close with most of the kids that I met on these trips. If you have the chance to to abroad with TFT, DO IT! TFT is the perfect way.

Travel for Teens changed my life! I always loved to travel but never had the resources to create a trip on my own that went off the beaten path to experience what the cultures truly had to offer beyond tourist attractions. I have made lifelong friends from TFT, I've had experiences and opportunities that I would have never had without TFT, and I've created memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I 100% recommend Travel for Teens to anyone who wants to have an AMAZING experience of a lifetime.