First Trip without Family: United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales)

Summer 2008

Maybe some of you have heard of People to People? Maybe not, but essentially it's a student ambassador organization where groups of kids travel abroad to learn about other cultures while representing the American culture. I've been on two trips with People to People and loved my experience both times.

The first time I traveled with the organization, we were a group of middle schoolers who went to England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for three weeks...away from our homes, away from our families, our friends, our comfort zones. The program holds meetings before departure to help settle these adolescent nerves, though likely relevant for the parents too. I had two of my school friends on the trip with me, which helped all of us feel comfortable to immerse ourselves in the experience.

As indicated by the pre-departure meetings, the program was so well organized throughout. We explored the major UK cities, including all the touristy gems that London and Edinburgh have to offer, but also adventured around the beautiful countryside of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland in a huge bus that cautiously navigated the winding roads, some of which were cobblestone.

We met with a member of Parliament, played a hole of golf at St. Andrews, visited Stratford-upon-Avon where Shakespeare lived, and repelled down a castle wall. We attended a Henry the VII dinner, rode in the London Eye, walked the stoney grounds of the Tower of London, and did team bonding activities in a Welsh field. What more could an awkward middle schooler hope for? I was absolutely thriving. Just seeing all these new sights, enjoying "exotic" foods (cue Scottish haggis, which is basically stuffing made from sheep organs--yum!), and interacting with new people helped me discover a piece of me I didn't yet know existed. This is when the travel bug really bit me hard.

Even now, years and years later, it's a pleasure following along with the lives of my fellow travelers on social media; we have an unspoken bond about that time we all flew across the Pond with a bunch of new faces to visit a ton of new places, as children trying to understand our places in this world. The three weeks flew by but the memories and, more importantly, the emotions of excitement, fearlessness, curiosity, and gratitude that arose during this first trip without my family stick with me to this day.

I've always loved the expression "you can't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been", and this really resonated with me in a place like the UK, which is seemingly as old as time itself. So if you like history, too, then the UK and the rest of Europe, with its centuries-old buildings, Roman cathedrals, and other aspects of architecture and culture that represent a period frozen in time, could be an intriguing place to visit.

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To Do or Not to Do?

Yes, you can't really go wrong with visiting the UK. All of these countries are incredible places, filled with tons of historical lessons, bustling metropolises, and stunning countrysides. English is spoken everywhere, albeit it in such different dialects that you may, at times, question that fact, but partaking in the centuries-old adventures and tasting the local cuisines are fascinating experiences that anyone interested in doing so would enjoy. Traveling there with a program isn't necessary, but it did help establish our itinerary of activities and meetings throughout the trip, so keep that in mind as you build you must dos and sees.

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