Over the summer, MIA’s Wandering Rays, known as the History and Culture Club, went on their yearly adventure. Over 30 students, 7 teachers, and 4 parents took off to France, Switzerland, and Germany. With 22 plus hours of travel, lack of sleep, and over twenty-thousand steps a day, our Rays had “the trip of a lifetime”.
The group started their adventure in Paris, France. Our Rays explored many different staples in the city. They went to the very decadent Palace of Versailles, did a virtual reality tour of the Notre Dame Cathedral, visited the Louvre Museum, enjoyed a VIP tour of Sainte Chappelle, ascended to the second level of the iconic Eiffel Tower, and ended their three days in Paris with a beautiful Seine River cruise.
In Paris, everything started to fall into place. Short travel seemed like nothing, and real friendships began to blossom. Although the students decided to split into different groups, everyone collectively came together, and teachers started bonding with the kids. These were the relationships that made the trip one to remember.
After three lengthy days in Paris, our Rays took a train over to the beautiful country of Switzerland. They explored Lucerne first on a free day. Although most things were closed, they were able to tour the city and even went on boat rides through the Reuss river. They visited the very top of Mt. Pilatus by cable car, and rode the Toboggan down the mountain as many times as they could afford.
After three adventurous days in Lucerne, they moved to the city of Chur, Switzerland. In Chur they explored the area on their own. This was a great bonding experience for everyone. This night and city was probably one of the better experiences of the trip, it was a great reset.
Shortly after the Switzerland leg of the tour, they took a long bus ride over to one the most famous castles in the world, Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. The castle was used as the inspiration for Belle’s castle in the Disney film, Beauty and the Beast.
Their last stop of the trip was in Munich, Germany. At the same time of our Rays’ arrival, the Euro Cup between Germany and Scotland was about to take way. The city was filled with extra people, and going anywhere was harder than a usual day. Although they were hit with this, it ultimately added to the adventure of the trip. Everyone came together, watched the game, and indulged in the atmosphere.
Despite the stress of the Euro Cup, our Rays went on a guided bike tour of Munich and were able to go to a beer garden. The beer garden was not only for the adults to indulge in and enjoy, but they had live music and tons of food to choose from.
Munich was not their only stop in Germany. Our Rays also got the opportunity to take a boat over to Mainau Island, which features 384 acres of beautiful flower and tree arrangements. A monumental stop was made at the Dachau concentration camp, and a tour of Eagles Nest on their last day left an impact on everyone. It was a humble way to end their two-week-long adventure.
In just two weeks, MIA’s Wandering Rays explored the heart of Europe, delving into the history, culture, and beauty of France, Switzerland, and Germany. This trip was more than just an adventure—it was a life-changing experience that the Rays will carry with them for years to come.
