By: Vivian Tsang
Many seniors have exciting trips planned after their graduation. After four years of high school, who doesn’t deserve to take two to three months off for themselves? Seniors Madison Blume, Vivian Pham, and Brian To are interested in traveling to Japan and Europe this summer.
Madison Blume
Senior Madison Blume will be traveling to Japan and Hawaii. Her family has been looking forward to the trip for many years, she said. Her family makes effort to plan a vacation every year, according to Blume. However, this trip will be more special.
“For the past other summers, we did travel to other places that we wanted to before,” Blume said. “This is kind of a bigger trip, so it’s a good way for my parents to give back to us after we graduate.”
She will be visiting more popular sites in Japan, including temples and other tourist attractions, Blume said. On the way back, she will stop at Hawaii and conclude her trip by relaxing at the beaches.
After graduation, she is excited to go to college at CSU Long Beach, Blume said. “I am very excited to move on to the next chapter of my life. I will be leaving my hometown to continue my education.”
Vivian Pham
Senior Vivian Pham will be going to Europe with her friends through a program associated with the school “EF Educational Tours.” The program allows you to plan out your trip across the country with a group of people, according to Pham. She has already booked hotel rooms and plane tickets for the trip.
Pham enjoys traveling to new places, she said. She hopes to eat more food and take photos of her adventures. “We’re going to visit The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and England. It’s about 15 days and we’re going to stay at one city to the next.”
“I’m going to Europe after graduation, because I thought it would be a nice thing to do before my friend group’s schedule becomes busy,” Pham said. “We’ve always wanted to travel together and relax together.”
After graduation, she is most excited to have more freedom and opportunities to meet new people. “Traveling is important to me, because I get to see different cultures across the world. I like to explore new things and see how different products are from each country. It makes my life more entertaining and fun!”
Brian To
Senior Brian To will be visiting Japan for the second time, he said. This time, he will be touring Tokyo with a friend.
“I went to Japan with my family last year, and I absolutely loved it. I’m going to specifically Tokyo because last year we went to a lot of different places in Japan but I feel like I didn’t get to spend as much time in Tokyo as I wanted”
He planned the trip through Expedia with the help of his parents, To said. He has talked extensively to his friends and parents about the flights, hotel, and locations they would visit.
“I feel like it is the perfect time to go on a senior trip with friends before people go their separate ways to their respective universities,” To said. “After graduation is also a time when things are relatively calm and there isn’t too much to stress about, so I thought I’d take advantage of the the time before my first fall college semester starts.”
He plans on exploring the city more, going to places like the Tokyo Tower, Nezu Shrine, Akihabara. He also looks forward to tasting Japan’s cuisine and enjoying new foods.
“I’m most excited to relax after a grueling four years of high school and hang out with all of my friends before we all go off to college,” To said. ? Closer to the end of summer, I am also going on a separate trip to Thailand and Vietnam, so I’m also really looking forward to that since I’ve never been to those countries before.”
