“Travel expands your horizons. We can get so caught up in our own little worlds; traveling helps you see the ‘bigger picture’ of life,” said Mrs. Dawn Murphy social studies teacher in charge of the travel club.

To date, Murphy has been on six trips with the club. She first went to Russia for about a month and ‘caught the bug’ for traveling and wanted to see new places and meet people from different cultures.

The club’s upcoming trip this summer is London, Ireland and Wales. Murphy is excited for this tour with the students. “They are going to get to experience so many new things; I enjoy sharing that with them. We will enjoy riding on a double-decker bus, enjoy traditional ‘fish and chips’ dinner, go on the world’s largest Ferris wheel, ‘The London Eye,’ see the ancient city of Dublin, watch the border collies work the sheep in Ireland, and enjoy the wild North Sea by ferry to Wales.”

Murphy has enjoyed all her trips but her favorite has to be Italy, which was this summer’s trip “Between the history of Venice and Rome, the art of Florence, the beaches of Capri and crystal blue water, the food and sweet people, you can’t beat it!”

Junior Alison Ryan went on her first international trip with Murphy to Italy. She said she went on the trip to “for the opportunity and experience to learn about another country’s culture.” She says learning about another country’s culture, history and customs makes a more well-rounded and worldly person, something she hopes to achieve.

Ryan had some advice for any new jet-setters interested in traveling. She said to always be prepared and pack extra, be money conscious, and, most importantly, being a tourist one must be considerate of other people’s customs, beliefs and daily life.

According to Murphy when students travel, they can see new possibilities for their own lives they never considered before. One of her former members is studying abroad in college. Another student is also studying abroad and is planning to live in New York City after graduating college, something the student said she would have never considered before traveling.

The World Health Organization says more than 900 million international journeys are undertaken every year.

Business Wire reports that students who went on a school-sponsored educational tour outside the U.S. or Canada between the ages of 12 and 18 were significantly more likely to attain a college degree or post graduate work, 67% vs. 34% those who didn’t, and be more successful in tough economic times. Students also may be more marketable to colleges and employers–61% of students say it has enhanced their resume when applying for college, and 54% said it enhanced their resume when applying for jobs.