Happy Senior Year! I remember my senior year of high school. I had red hair and blue eyeliner I put under my eyes. Ah, the memories. Whether you are about to enter your last year of high school, college or graduate school, you have probably heard the phrase senior trip a few thousand times. High schools and universities all over the globe commonly offer a senior trip for their students to attend after graduation. This trip can range from a night in Disneyland to a three-week adventure in London. No matter what the opportunity is, I am here to tell you to take the leap and GO ON YOUR SENIOR TRIP! As someone who was incredibly hesitant and anxious about attending their senior trip, I understand the worries and questions you probably will have. I have never been more happy with my decision to attend my senior trip when I was in high school. It will be one the best experiences in your entire life and I am here to convince you to start your enrollment paperwork TODAY!
1. You will (probably) never get an opportunity like this again.
The adult world doesn't seem to have a lot of opportunities where you and 20+ people your own age get to travel together for fun.
2. You'll create lifelong friendships.
If you are fortunate enough to have close friends going on the trip with you, that is fantastic! If you don't know anyone going, don't let that hold you back! The beauty of senior trips is the fact that everyone is always traveling closely together. Naturally, you will become closer to people you never spoke with or never knew. It can be really intimidating enrolling on a trip without the security of people you know coming with you, but trust me when I say that you make friends and they will become your best friends.
3. Don't worry about not being able to pay for it.
Senior trips are expensive. They can range from $150 - $5000 depending on the trip. It's not going to be easy, but it is not impossible. Enrolling early and starting a payment plan is the first step. Next, you have to work for it. Schools often offer fundraising activities you can participate in. I missed a lot of nights to the movies with my friends because I was taking a babysitting shift or trying to save up for my next payment. I didn't feel like I missed out on anything in high school when I was on a gondola in Venice listening to Italian opera.
4. Those Instagram Photos...
You'll have enough photos to post for yeeeears.
5. The stories you could tell your grandkids...
Remember the guy in that store in Rome when we went shopping that one night? Or when we decided to dance in the rain in Venice? Yeah. Good times.
6. A number of things you can learn on one trip can be so much more valuable than the things you learned the last four years.
History can be brought to life before your eyes. All those years staring at pictures in a textbook then suddenly you're walking on the same floor as everyone who came before you. Past all the academic, culture and historic knowledge also comes life lessons. Traveling, in general, makes you learn things about yourself and about the world around you.
7. The Final Reflection.
We all had our own "moment" when we realized that a chapter of our life was over. For some people, it came right after graduation or on their last day of classes. Mine was the last night on my senior trip, standing on my hotel balcony. It was the first time it felt real that I was graduated and on my way to pursue new things.
Now that you're totally convinced to enroll on your senior trip, what do you do if your school doesn't offer one? You're in luck! There are tons of programs out there for students to enroll in that take you and a group of people your age abroad. Do a quick Google search and you'll find the program that is right for you. There's a big world out there for you to see and this is the time to see it!
