This past summer one of our very own Titans had the chance to explore the world like never before. On July 1st senior Jeff Larkin took off from LAX airport on a plane headed for Fiji with the People to People organization. Through this organization Jeff was going to spend three weeks traveling through the South Pacific.

People to People is a worldwide organization designed for students to travel around the world together and experience other cultures. Jeff got involved with this group through a friend of his who was planning on signing up for this trip. People to People travels to six different continents, some specific places including, Italy, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Tokyo. Although the cost of one of these trips is far from cheap, for most people it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will allow them to experience something extraordinary.

      I asked Jeff what inspired him to travel, “to see the world and experience other cultures” he said. During the first couple days of Jeff’s trip, he and his group went around exploring a rainforest and looking at wildlife. After about a week in Fiji, Jeff and his group flew to Auckland, New Zealand. This is where he would do his homestay with a family he had never met before. He talked about how the homestay was one of the most fascinating things about the trip; being able to experience life with a family living across the world. After finishing his time in the beautiful country of New Zealand, Jeff took off for his final destination, Australia. Here, Jeff snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef while alongside a marine biologist. You can’t say that isn’t one of the coolest things a high school kid could experience!

Traveling is a luxury not to be taken for granted and not everybody is fortunate enough to be able to travel like Jeff does. But, while Jeff’s trip is admittedly pretty amazing, I hope you have been inspired to explore new cultures even if it doesn’t mean getting your passport stamped. Life shouldn’t just be about going to work everyday, but rather exploring what sorts of things the world has to offer. Before you know it you’ll have gray hairs and wrinkles. At 70 years old looking back you probably won’t tell stories about your days at work, or mowing the lawn, it is the experiences that stay with you forever. Life is what you make of it.