Overseas trip is on after two years of being postponed
May 9, 2022
A chance to travel across the world to new countries is a rare opportunity and a memory that will last beyond high school.
Marina King and nine Rider students will be able to do just that through Education First Tours, getting the chance to experience and spend a few days in four countries exploring famous cities such as London, Paris, Florence and Rome.
This trip was originally planned for summer 2020, but was postponed twice due to COVID. Through the postponements, King has lost many students who had planned to go, but there have been a few who have stayed on board the whole time, including junior Ryan Mitchell.
“You have this hope that you’re going to go, but then it gets shut down because of something happening in a different country that you can’t control,” Mitchell said. “It’s really disappointing, but at the same time you’re happy that you’re staying safe.”
With their safety being secured and the trip finally in place, King has been busy with planning and making sure the students know what to expect when entering a completely new country and new currency.
“Right now, we are having a lot of meetings, especially with COVID, making sure everyone has their stuff in order, and figuring out money exchange,” King said.
The students are also preparing for this trip as well. Rider senior Nichole Music is excited for this to be her “reward” as a senior trip and has her wardrobe ready to go.
“I have planned every single outfit that I am going to wear every day,” Music said.
Mandatory preparations include masks and vaccinations to ensure the safety of the students and to abide by the mandates each country has in place. If there is any concern about what’s going on in Ukraine, King trusts the company to keep them safe.
“If there is any hesitation or worries, they won’t let us go and will detour us to somewhere safe,” King said.
Having a love for travel, King spent her birthday in Rome and five weeks in London when she was in college and named her daughter out of her love for the city.
“I want them to see how much more there is than what they see here every day, like different walks of life,” King said, “ I just hope it will spark an interest in travel for them and see that there is so much out there to see and so little time.”
There is another trip in the works to explore Germany and the Alps in the spring of 2023. Contact King for further information.
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