Paul Harrison, a social studies teacher with over 20 years of experience, has a passion for travelling, he said.
One of the reasons why he likes travelling is that each of the countries have something to offer, Harrison said.
“(In) Puerto Rico, there are some extraordinary beaches, some little islands that I love to go to,” Harrison said. “I love Italy and the south of France, because I really love the cuisine, the food, the architecture, the lifestyle.”
His passion for travelling started because of his family’s trips that he used to do and a teacher that inspired him, Harrison said.
“We had a big family. We would often do road trips and drive across the US a couple of times,” Harrison said. “I had a teacher in high school that I really liked a lot, and he travelled a lot and would go to Europe, and hearing his stories and his experiences, it really inspired me, like, ‘wow, I want to do that.’”
One place that I want to go to that I haven’t gone yet is Asia, Harrison said.
“Japan, China, Mongolia would be interesting, because my students know I love Genghis Khan,” Harrison said. “I haven’t seen [Asia], that’s an area I lack. I know everybody’s going to Japan now because it’s really cheap, but I hear there’s too much tourism right now. But yeah, I need to go to Asia badly.”
If younger people are looking to save on travel, they should stay in a youth hostel, Harrison said.
“Almost every time I went to a youth hostel, there were other people your age just looking for something to do, and you could go out and make friends immediately,” Harrison said. “They’re really affordable, but you’re going to be around other young people, younger people that are in exactly the same situation as you, college age, looking for fun [and] adventure, and so you could have a really good time.”
One underrated travel item is the money belt, Harrison said.
“I’m very cautious because if you lose your passports or your credit cards, you can really screw up your trip,” Harrison said. “I mean, it’s like, cheap, but it makes secure, and it’s kind of a thing that a lot of people maybe don’t think of.”
Traveling has influenced Harrison’s teaching a lot because it gives him more of a personal connection, he said.
“I was talking about Normandy today and the D-Day. Now that I’ve been there, I have this more personal experience with it, I can give much more depth and insight into a site and an event,” Harrison said. “I’ve been to the Middle East quite a bit, and I really like it there. So I realized, like, I have a greater understanding of the Middle East, of Islam and all because I’ve traveled there and I studied there.”
It also can help with connecting with students, Harrison said.
“And it just helps you give a more depth of understanding,” Harrison said. “That’s part of the reason why I really need to go to Asia, right? If I go to Vietnam or China, you know, it’s going to give me much more insight.”
There’s a lot of tips for travelling, Harrison said.
“Always try to greet people and ask in the local language,” Harrison said. “Americans are seen as loud, so try not to be the center of attention.”
Brian Knitter, another social studies teacher, also loves travelling. He has been traveling his whole life.
“My parents moved me all over the place, and then I continued that trend once I got out from them,” Knitter said.
I was a part-time tour guide in Europe for about 15 years.
“You go there the people coming with you, they pay for your trip,” Knitter said. “And so I would be a tour guide, and then at the end of the tour, I would stay in Europe and do my own thing, and they would basically pay for my flight. So it’s a little work, you know, moving people around a country, especially if you don’t do travel but, yeah, it’s free travel.”
There are several places I would be happy to live in: Belgium, France, Thailand, Bali, Singapore, and Spain, said Knitter.
“[These countries have] good government, reasonable employment, healthcare, and good food,” Knitter said. “Those countries cover all those bases.”
One of my favorite places to go is Disneyland, Knitter said.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are, you can be a kid,” Knitter said. “It doesn’t hurt that my daughter is currently living down there, so it gives me a chance to go visit her and see the mouse.”
Balancing teaching and traveling is pretty easy, Knitter said.
“I became a teacher so that I could travel more because I have nine or ten weeks off in the summer, two weeks off at Christmas time,” Knitter said. “Mostly it’s Christmas somewhere in the southern hemisphere, and then in the summer, [the] northern hemisphere typically.”
The best experiences are always with people. My wife and I, we like to do cooking classes, Knitter said.
“So you go to the local store. Then you have a chance to see what shopping looks like in that country,” Knitter said. “You pick fresh ingredients, and then you go there, there’s usually a recipe, several recipes, and you choose one, other people choose others. You make it. And usually the people who do these things are pretty good cooks. And then at the end, we all get to eat it.”
There’s a bunch of tips to save on travel, Knitter said.
“First of all, don’t buy into the hype that expensive means better,” Knitter said. “Often, the best experiences are some of the cheapest experiences.”
Another tip is that you should book your airline tickets early, Knitter said.
“If you book early, like six months to a year early, you can get great prices,” Knitter said. “There are tools available to anybody these days to find cheap, cheap flights.”
