Teachers: They Travel!
January 6, 2022
The passion for travel that many Pennridge High School teachers hold has led them on countless adventures. Through experiencing the world, they have learned that we are all not as different as we think. Travel is a widely loved activity, and for good reason. It not only opens your eyes to different aspects of the world and all of its beauty but also provides many personal and mental benefits. Travel is proven to reduce stress, lower the risk of depression, and boost your happiness and satisfaction. It enhances your creativity and provides you with the knowledge that is incomparable to anything you find in a textbook. Hearing about the world’s feats is one thing, but seeing it firsthand alters your viewpoint completely, teaching you so much about the world and the people that inhabit it. With all these benefits, it is no wonder that many people prioritize traveling and make a point to take part in it throughout their lives. In 2019, U.S. travel spending totaled $1.6 billion, with $993 billion being domestic travel spending and $179 billion being international spending. People are willing to put a pretty penny into their travels and find it to be a worthwhile investment. 43 percent of travelers worldwide say they value experiences more than things and traveling provides an experience like no other. Many teachers within Pennridge High School have filled their lives with travel and have stories to last them a lifetime. Their unique experiences have showcased not only the wonders of the world but also how everything and everyone on it is so beautifully connected.
Some teachers at Pennridge have had the opportunity to take their teaching skills abroad. Pennridge High School teacher Allyson Kearney was able to do this in Kenya, where she taught chemistry and physics at an international boarding school. The school included students from 44 different countries, allowing her to meet people from all walks of life throughout all parts of the world. In Africa, Kearney was able to embark on many once in a lifetime adventures, such as climbing to the top of Mountain Kilimanjaro. Though climbing mountains and seeing animals were unforgettable aspects of the experience, it’s the interactions with the Kenyan people that really stuck with Kearney. She specifically remembers an instance where a local old lady offered to have her over for dinner. This lady had so little in comparison to what we do, and even so, she was willing to provide food to others. Kearney saw this common theme within the Kenyan people, saying they were “very generous with so little”. Their selfless nature and the way they made the most of what they had were both eye-opening and inspiring to her. Through her time in Kenya, Kearney was also reminded of just how alike we all are as people, saying “We are all so much more similar than we are different.” We can be in contrasting situations, speak different languages, or live thousands of miles apart, but at the end of the day, we all want the same things: education, safety, and happiness. Acknowledging these commonalities allows us to step back, eliminate all prejudices or preconceived notions, and appreciate how our similarities trump our differences.
Other teachers have caught such a travel bug that they’ve seen more of the world than most people can imagine! David Brown, a Pennridge High School teacher, has been to four continents, 32 countries, and 34 states. From teaching in China to studying in England, to spending time with friends in Peru and Mexico, he’s seen just about every corner of the world. He even now goes on trips in collaboration with Pennridge, having gone to Costa Rica, Belize, and Southeast Asia in recent years. Brown has participated in a lot of solo travel over the years, which he enjoys because you have complete freedom; you are “unencumbered by anyone else”. You are forced to navigate unfamiliar areas on your own, allowing you to learn a lot about yourself and grow as a person. Like Kearney, Brown finds his experiences with people abroad to be one the most valuable aspects of travel. Interacting with people from all over the world is truly enlightening and reinforces the idea that we are all the same. Brown feels traveling is a reminder of how small your perspective really is and how we are all so similar, saying “it is impossible to have prejudicial feelings when you’ve traveled”. We all have a desire for a happy and healthy life, no matter where we come from. Brown’s travels make him want to learn more about other people of the world, human history, and how it’s all connected. Our histories are so intertwined and connected, a concept you don’t fully grasp until you see different parts of the world firsthand.
Through traveling the world, teachers of Pennridge High School have not just been able to see pretty sights but have also learned lessons beyond what can be taught from a book. Their experiences have provided them with new perspectives and a better understanding of the planet we live on. Hearing about parts of the world is one thing, but nothing compares to seeing it with your own two eyes. Traveling provides you with both a yearning to learn and a deeper understanding of the human truth, that the world is so diverse yet full of people with similar wants.
Sources:
https://blog.accessdevelopment.com/tourism-and-travel-statistics-the-ultimate-collection
