What inspired you to go abroad?
It has always been a dream of mine to travel to Australia. I have always been fascinated with that country. I decided one year to begin saving up to take myself and eventually, with the help of Travel for Teens, my dream came true.
Snorkling in the Great Barrier Reef
Why did you choose Travel For Teens?
Travel for Teens had the best excursion options and activities for the most affordable price.
What was your favorite part about Australia and New Zealand?
I enjoyed the cultural experience. It was enough to make me feel like I was no longer in the United States, but there was not a large amount of culture shock either. Overall I highly recommend Australia and New Zealand to those who are traveling on their own for the first time for these reasons.
What made your experience abroad unique?
My counselors were incredible. They were energetic, encouraging, fun to be around, and also made me feel incredibly safe in a foreign environment.
Tangalooma Islands
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff was extremely supportive. They were very on top of flight and hotel accommodations. We sometimes even got extra deals on our excursions.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
I wish I had bought more souvenirs. I generally try to reserve my money, but on the trip of a lifetime, it is okay to splurge a little more than usual.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
There were two types of days: excursion days and travel days. On an excursion day, we would get up fairly early because there was always a lot to do! We would have one main excursion for the day that everybody participated in. This was always followed by some time to break off into groups and explore, especially when we were in the cities. Sometimes in the evening there would be more optional activities we were able to choose from. The night always concluded with fun late night chats in our rooms as bonding experiences. One would assume travel days would be boring, since most of the day would be spent at the airport. However, because we grew so close, travel days were some of the best. It did not matter when the plane arrived or when we boarded. What mattered was that we were all together and still having fun just hanging out.
Learning how to throw a boomerang from an Aborigine
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
Free time was limited, but in a good way because there was always so much to do and see. When it was available though, I loved staying up with my friends and just getting to know them better. It was so exciting to meet people from all over the country and learn about how their lives were different than mine. In addition, we played a lot of billiards.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
Sometimes we stayed in nice hotels, other times we stayed in hostels or bed and breakfast-type places. I liked the bed and breakfast-type places the best because those were where we got to spend the most time with each other. There would be big common rooms with couches and games for us to all hang out in. While the hotels were technically nicer, we were confined to our few roommates as opposed to the whole group. I also loved that we got to switch up our roommates every time we traveled somewhere new to make sure we got to spend time with everyone.
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
Everyone should know how to be an efficient packer. First of all, there was a lot of moving around, so it would be wise to not bring 4 different bags that you are responsible for. That's a lot of weight to bring to multiple different airports. Also, the weather there was difficult to prepare for. In some regions, we required sweatshirts, scarves, and gloves. In others, we were tanning in our bathing suits. You need to know how to be prepared for these different scenarios without bringing your entire house.
Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House at night
Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
My time abroad has made me realize how much I love traveling. It has gone so far as to affect my career; I want to do something with my life that allows me to travel with work as opposed to only taking vacations. My time abroad has also taught me how to take advantage of more opportunities. In Australia, my go-to phrase was "Yes." I tried everything, even if I was a little nervous, because I knew I might never get the chance to do that activity again. That mindset has transpired into my everyday life as well.
Would you recommend your Travel For Teens to others? Why?
I would absolutely recommend both the Australia trip and Travel for Teens. As a new college student, I have a lot more responsibilities than I did in high school. Going abroad was a great way for me to see what it was like on my own in an unfamiliar place, but with some guidance. It acted as a great stepping stone that I think every single high school student should experience before really going off on their own for the first time. I recommend Australia for the culture shock reasons I mentioned previously in the first question. I loved Travel for Teens because of their amazing and accommodating staff and their thrilling choice of activities.
