by Haley Verre

Staff Writer http://www.destination360.com/europe/ireland/images/s/ireland-ring-of-kerry.jpg

Over April vacation, a group of a students and teachers participated in the school’s trip to England and Ireland. Guidance counselor Tracy Mclaughlin claimed that although the students were initially nervous to travel, they students soon found that this trip turned out to be the “time of their lives”.

This was Mclaughlin’s first trip for the school as a leader. She described the experience as “life-changing” and claims the students didn’t even want to come home when the trip was over.

First, the students traveled to the country-side of Ireland, which ended up being the favorite of the two places.The students went to several historic places, like old castles where battles were fought.

They experienced the Irish culture by taking Irish step dancing lessons from some of the best Irish step dancers in the world and witnessing the herding of sheep.

The group engaged in a lot of conversation with the Irish, who were friendly and welcomed them warmly. McLaughlin believes they were the nicest people she had ever met. “[The Irish] seemed to be the same way they were hundreds of years ago […] it was more traditional and very different from how we live here, which makes it interesting,” she said.

After seeing the rural lands of Ireland, the students stayed in the city of London. McLaughlin stated this was the American equivalent of New York City.

Here they saw King Henry the Eighth’s Court and the Tower of London, where many prominent people in history, like Anne Boleyn, had been imprisoned.

The group went to West End, the “London version of Broadway”, to see the play “Blood Brothers”. Here professional actors gave the students some acting tips.

In terms of adapting to the countries’ cultures, the students had little difficulty and didn’t complain at all. They were welcomed cordially in both places. After this experience, many students talked about studying abroad.