Freshman year, one of my friends went to Hawaii with her family over summer vacation. Their first stop was the Big Island, home of Pearl Harbor and some of the islands’ best museums of Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. They then island-hopped to Kauai, which boasts some of the most extreme topographical features in America.

When they returned from the trip, I eagerly awaited hearing about all the fascinating things they did during their two weeks. But, I was met with a shrug. She said, “Oh you know, the usual. Laid by the pool, swam a bit, went out to eat.” I pressed for more details, asking whether they went to Pearl Harbor or any museums. Did they at least see the most active volcano in the world? No. They did none of this.

On the Big Island, they stayed at an all-inclusive resort the entire time. On Kauai, her family did leave the hotel for one afternoon to zip line. There they were, in a beautiful, culture-rich state for the first time, however they kept to their 5-star luxury bubble and came back with no new experiences except for a tan.
Though traveling is a wonderful break from the everyday, it shouldn’t be all about luxury and relaxation. While this can be a major part of any good vacation, you do not come back a better, more cultured version of yourself.

The best vacations are approached as learning opportunities. With this mentality, you will consistently get the most out of a trip and will always return home feeling fulfilled.

I have nothing against zip lining, I’ve enjoyed zip lining on vacation before. However, if you return from a trip not being able to cite one interesting fact about the place you just spent your time, you haven’t done it right. I zip lined at the Utah Olympic Park, home of several events from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. My fun fact? This was the Olympic debut of women’s bobsled, which the USA won. No one says, “Let’s go to Park City to learn!” We went there to ski and just happened to learn a thing along the way.

One great way to make your vacation a fulfilling experience is to participate in a variety of travel abroad programs. While there may not be too many opportunities in high school, outlets can be found, whether it’s the French exchange program, summer trip to China, or studying Shakespeare at Oxford. New Trier offers these opportunities to go abroad, but none are solely about the travel. All of these trips, and travel abroad programs in general, offer valuable opportunities to grow and learn as an individual while enjoying a new country.

In college especially, you will have tons of opportunities to study abroad, in virtually any country for any major. A family friend of mine travelled around Italy and Spain drinking wine and studying how the soil composition affected the taste, all for his Chemistry major. He isn’t interested in any aspect of wine or agriculture, but just wanted the opportunity to travel. So, he created a project that he thought sounded interesting and somewhat relevant, and then spent a quarter in Europe with fine wine.

If travelling through a program isn’t your thing, visit a place that interests you. Yes, it can be beautiful, have crystal clear waters and a five star hotel, but you can still learn in places like this. Take Bora Bora, for example. The hotels are infamous for the beautiful suites connected by a wooden boardwalk over turquoise water. However, while there, hike to the base of Mount Otemanu. Along the way, you’ll find altars from its indigenous past and US cannons left over from World War II. History and opportunities to learn can be found in even the most tropical and relaxing of places.

In regards to the language barrier, if you’ve taken a language in school, don’t shy away from the opportunity to finally speak it where it counts. After sophomore year my family was passing through France for the day and we stopped for lunch in the town of Strasbourg. At a little creperie, we sat at a wrought iron table on the patio, taking in the view of a magnificent cathedral. I chose my crepe- Nutella, a classic.

When the waitress came to our table, I shyly asked in English while pointing to the crepe on the menu. At that point, I had taken French for four years and knew perfectly well how to order in French. The opportunity presented itself, and I got too scared. I haven’t forgiven myself.

We are fortunate to live in the North Shore, a place with many luxuries, but it is rare that we get the chance to experience people and places different than here. When offered the chance, we should take advantage of the opportunity and get to know the culture, learn the history, experience the authentic version of the place you are visiting. This doesn’t mean you have to forego the hotel and rent out a local’s second bedroom. Just make an effort to actually experience a location, instead of approaching it as a Trip Advisor itinerary. And whatever you do, don’t just lay around and tan.