Not many parents would be comfortable sending their child to a foreign country alone for weeks at a time, nor would many teenagers be brave enough. But senior Adriana Poznanski of Middletown has visited “Canada, Mexico, some Caribbean islands, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Switzerland,” sometimes visiting these foreign places for weeks at a time without her parents, and she lives to tell the tale.

“I travelled alone first to family when I was 11, and now I often go on trips with my friends alone,” Poznanski said. “My mom has encouraged it, actually… she trusts me and believes it is valuable experience.”

Poznanski is not the only one going global. Several CHS students find themselves popping the Monmouth County bubble in pursuit of a new adventure: sometimes with their parents, sometimes alone. 

This summer, sophomore Kacie Farrell of Lincroft was one of 21 students on a trip to Spain organized by Spanish teacher Sabina Campbell. Although she had traveled to another country before, this was Farrell’s first time going overseas without her parents. 

“Traveling alone was scary at first, but in the end it was a great experience,” Farrell said. “I learned so many new things, met so many cool people, and had the best time of my life.”

But the excitement of a foreign vacation is not the only reason why students travel abroad. Junior Bella Carmona-Ramirez of Long Branch pays frequent visits to her family in Colombia, and said she loves visiting to immerse herself in a new yet comfortably familiar lifestyle.  

“Traveling has made me delve in more to my culture and see how it really is. Of course I love learning about it at home but it’s never the same unless you’re there,” Carmona-Ramirez said. “To be surrounded by one’s culture… it just feels really good.”

Regardless of their reason for traveling, students that have seen the world return home with a suitcase of souvenirs and a fresh perspective on the world around them. 

“Travelling has allowed me to experience many new cultures and environments and learn about life outside of where I live,” Poznanski said. “I think it has made me very open-minded and enthusiastic about trying new things.”