Teachers share overseas travel experiences

Traveling is a dream of many, and it provides opportunities to enhance education. The educational benefits and the joys that stem from seeing new places and immersing one’s senses in new experiences are countless. Three teachers’ accounts of travels to Spain, Scotland and Australia can be awe-inspiring for those who hold dreams of future travels.

Mrs. Kelly Gabe – Spain

Mrs. Kelly Gabe, a Spanish teacher at JHS, has a passion for traveling. 

She has been to Spain multiple times, the first time studying abroad in the summer to receive graduate credit over a two-month stretch through Murray State University in Kentucky. Gabe’s bachelor’s degree is in foreign language and business administration, so going to Spain presented her with an opportunity to improve her Spanish skills and to apply them in real-world situations. 

“… You sit in a classroom, and you hear about all this stuff, and you’ve got to have that actual connection; you’ve got to actually be in the environment,” Gabe said. “… You learn about engineering, or you learn about medicines, but until you actually go to see what it’s like to do engineering on a building, or you actually see what it’s like in a lab, you don’t really get it until you’re actually in it. … So with languages, the traveling is a component that can really bring that to students.”

Though one might think visiting a different country would be unlike anything imagined, Gabe said the first time she went to Spain, she saw what she had been taught. What was shocking to her, however, was the food. Flavors were different from what she had imagined, and while a dish may have looked familiar, it would not have tasted familiar. Living outside of Segovia (a city outside of the Spanish capital of Madrid) for many weeks, Gabe became fond of the hot ham and cheese, (known there as jamón y queso) sandwiches at a restaurant near the aqueduct. Staying in Spain for a long time allowed for her to form a community with the restaurant’s owner and others.

Gabe was inspired to take students to Spain because she had positive experiences there and wanted students to try the things she tried on her first trip to the country. 

Traveling with students, her perception was very different from when she had been on her own, because this time, she was in charge and was ready to be a protector. 

“The very first time I took a group, I definitely saw Spain [differently] because I was being very protective,” Gabe said. “So there, all of a sudden there was a lot of traffic, and there were a lot of people!” 

One of Gabe’s most memorable moments in Spain was when she studied abroad and went on a train overnight for the first time. Her destination was Santiago de Compostela, a city and pilgrimage site featuring a variety of architecture and the masterpiece sculpture of Pórtico de la Gloria in the cathedral. She also visited a castle that was a hostel. Taking students places provided memories that have stayed with Gabe, who enjoyed seeing their reactions when they saw the palace in Madrid and the street Las Ramblas, which displays a giant market. 

When asked if her Spanish improved while in Spain, Gabe responded, “Absolutely.” 

When she took students, she found the chance to help her students improve their speaking of the language by encouraging them to speak Spanish independently and to purchase groceries using Spanish words.

Gabe’s biggest difficulty studying abroad was being homesick. A challenge while traveling with students was sickness. Though the need for medical care was frequent (on almost all of her trips Gabe has been on, she has taken someone to the pharmacy), she remarks of the knowledge and convenience inside of Spain’s pharmacies.

One thing she found to be easy, on the other hand, was exchanging currency. 

Something Gabe learned from these travels was when giving kids time to explore on their own, it was helpful to have a flexible schedule. Taking pleasure in the Spanish customs of eating at 1 p.m. and having naps, she wished she could continue them when in America.

Mrs. Karen LeClair – Scotland

“It was my first time, and my best time because everything is new. And so the smells were new, the air was new, the weather was very cold,” JHS history teacher Mrs. Karen LeClair, who first went to Scotland 15 years ago with a friend on a greatly desired vacation, said.

She fell in love with her first destination in Scotland: Edinburgh. She said the city of Edinburgh is well-preserved, like a “living museum.” 

A city with many aspects that have remained unchanged since the older parts of the 1500s and 1600s, as well as the 18th century, Edinburgh is the country’s capital. 

LeClair loves that the Scottish take pride in their history and that they preserve their culture. A major historical event in Scotland was the Jacobite Rebellions, starting in the late 1600s and lasting through 1746. A series of small battles against the British government, the Jacobite Rebellions were employed with the goal of restoring the British monarch, James VII (known in England as King James II), who had been forced to leave the throne. LeClair feels that if one goes to Scotland, they must be aware of this time period, which further cemented tensions between Scotland and England. 

In Edinburgh, some of LeClair’s destinations included the National Museum of Scotland and the Royal Yacht Britannia of Queen Elizabeth II, a ship-turned museum in which visitors can drink tea. Another iconic location is the Royal Mile, a mile-long walk between the castle and palace in Edinburgh’s Old Town. 

Those who prefer rural areas are offered many beautiful sights, as well. The Salisbury Crags, a cliff face, looks over Scotland for an enchanting view. In August, the green Pentland hills display vibrant purple and yellow heather flowers and provide a peaceful hike. Those who wish to delight their cravings of adventure can climb King Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano at the end of the Royal Mile. 

LeClair’s husband attended university in the United Kingdom and lived there for 25 years. Since their visits to Scotland are frequent, and renting becomes economically impractical, LeClair and her husband decided to own a flat outside the capital city, in a town called Dalkeith. 

One of LeClair’s favorite things she learned from Scotland is the importance of being aware of yourself, your surroundings and your mannerisms. Paying attention to body language, people’s reactions and having great respect for others are also essential. 

“People will be very open towards you and embracing, and they’re curious too, so they don’t mean any offense,” LeClair said. “They’re just wanting to know about you.”

The Europeans are also much “greener,” or more aware of their environment, than many Americans, according to LeClair. She said the people of the British Isles view their geographic space much differently from the way Americans view their space. Many of her European friends do not own cars. Since the streets in large cities allow for walking from place to place, they do not see driving as a necessity. Living in her flat in Scotland, though enjoyable, can be economically challenging for LeClair. 

“Right now, there’s a leak on the roof, but because we’re the third flat, it doesn’t affect us directly, but everyone has to pay for the maintenance of the roof because we all share,” she said, as to why living in the United States is often more simple than living in Europe. However, she prefers the standard of living better in Britain. Scottish culture is a walking culture and allows for discovering new sights and meeting new people.

 “I don’t want to live in an isolated world where I go home in my car. If I want to go to the gym, I have to get in a car,” LeClair said. “There are no sidewalks here.” 

Comparing America with other places to travel, LeClair believes that while America has a lot to offer, it needs to expand its horizons to other places in the world. Having a narrow view of the world does not allow for a collective activity of people to care for the environment and for each other.

“Everyone is valuable in their own right. Just because they’re different does not make them less valuable,” LeClair said. 

Mr. Keith Pringle – Australia

After the best friend of Mr. Keith Pringle left college and was offered a job in Melbourne, Australia, he invited Pringle to join him. Before the age of 25, British citizens were given the chance to work and tour in Australia for a year. Pringle, who was born 8 miles from Scotland, accepted the opportunity. He and his friend worked at a factory that made Australian banknotes, or dollar bills. For three and a half months, he toured the continent, from Melbourne to Adelaide to Tasmania and Canberra. 

In 1999, one year before the Sydney Summer Olympic Games, Pringle had a shocking experience on the road to Sydney from Canberra. A kangaroo jumped out and hit his car, resulting in damage so severe that he had to leave his car on the side of the road. With not enough money to fix the vehicle, he backpacked into Sydney. Luckily for Pringle, someone in Sydney gave him a train ticket back to Canberra. This person knew the owner of a holiday resort – a backpacker’s farm state – and she landed Pringle a job at the farm. After working at the farm state for a short time, he took a job picking fruit in an apple orchard. 

Christmastime in Australia was unique to Pringle. Since the continent is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is in midsummer. He traveled back to the farm state to celebrate Christmas with people there, not expecting the upcoming arrival that would change his life.

On Dec. 30, 1999, Amy Pearce, a girl from Conway, arrived at the farm state. A student of the Australian National University in Canberra, where she was earning her doctorate, she decided to camp in the outback and joined Pringle in camping on New Year’s Day. The two received diving certificates on the Great Barrier Reef in Bundaberg and journeyed to the town of Alice Springs and saw Uluru, or Ayers Rock, a giant, red sandstone monolith in the middle of a desert area known as the Red Centre. Some of the best natural features of Australia, in Pringle’s opinion, were the blue mountains, the Red Centre, the ease of viewing stars and the sunny weather. Camping in the MacDonnell Ranges in the continent’s center, Pringle slept in a swag, which is a mattress with a waterproof top that can be rolled up and stuffed in a backpack. 

Observing the absence of light pollution, Pringle recalls a memory of looking at the Milky Way: “I remember looking at the Milky Way, which was stretched above us … and I fell asleep, and when I woke up, the galaxy had shifted, and I got a sense of the tilting of the earth,” Pringle said. “I just will never forget seeing the entire universe shift on its axis and get a sense that I’m sitting on a rock that’s spinning.” 

He experienced all of this with Pearce, who would later become his wife and the mother of their two children, Murray and Rowan. 

Pringle, though not as fond of cities as he is of natural areas, liked Canberra, the capital of Australia. With many parks, it is green and low to the ground. He also enjoyed playing the didgeridoo in a shop in Melbourne. 

While seeing people from countries such as the Netherlands and Germany, Pringle barely saw any Americans. Their reputation in other countries is not always favorable. Many are often thought of as loud and insensitive. 

“We have a joke that we say: ‘What is the first thing an American does when he or she wants to backpack in Europe? And the answer is, sew a Canadian flag onto their backpack.’ Because we like Canadians,” Pringle joked. “Canadians are sweet, they’re knowledgeable, they’re respectful, they are responsible, but that American flag indicates something to us that is not positive, and it shouldn’t be that way. …” When abroad, people often strive to represent their countries. Pringle notices, however, that some Americans he has seen on other trips do not seem to realize the negative effect they have on others when taking part in obnoxious and inconsiderate activities such as singing “The Star Spangled Banner” loudly in the serene atmosphere of a natural hot stream in Iceland. Pringle said if things like this did not happen often, Americans would likely not have their less-than-favorable reputations in other countries. 

Traveling around the coast and swimming in as many beaches as he could (20 to 30) was the best thing Pringle thought he did. When his daughters were younger, the teacher and his family went back to Australia and saw the Sydney Opera House. If he were to do something differently, Pringle would like to repeat his previous experience of enjoying nature with the addition of seeing the west and north of Australia. 

The country, in his eyes, disregards the strict class system that is present in England. The locals were accommodating, friendly and willing to help him with car troubles. He described the country as having many English traditions, combined with American technology and its own charm and personality. 

These diverse explorations have proven to be immensely enjoyable for Gabe, LeClair and Pringle, who will forever treasure memories and life-altering experiences from these journeys.