Lately in Travel (From the Perspective of an Armchair Traveler)
I’m still embracing summer with open arms even despite the record heat in our largely non-air conditioned part of the country here on the East Coast. Good thing we have a strong sea breeze in Boston and weekends on the Cape to help us cool off and maintain our sanity.
Most of the time.
There’s a special buzz around our offices this time of year, which makes July extra thrilling for me. Groups set off for week long adventures while our staff simultaneously jet sets to exotic locations to check in on travelers, to increase their already expansive knowledge of far-off cities, and to roll their Rs in fluent espagnol.
When the photos and videos start rolling in, it’s like pure magic captured on film and I can feel the excitement as students catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower for the first time or marvel at the Coliseum in Rome. If you’re wondering what it might be like to be a professional armchair traveler such as myself, here are the types of noteworthy things that come across my desk on a daily basis:
1. Bastille Day Fireworks in Paris
These fireworks look so spectacular I want to teleport myself into this video asap! Thank you to fellow coworker, Allison, for capturing such a sparkly moment.
2. Student Travel in the News
These ACIS groups got a little taste of fame when they were featured in some local newspapers.
Mendham High School Visits Costa Rica (written by student traveler,
Softball Tour to the Dominican Republic
3. Summer Travel Pictures from the ACIS Staff
They went, they saw, they conquered the globe this summer. Here’s a quick sampling of our staff enjoying some much needed time in the sun in Italy, France & Croatia.
Did you happen to get a visit from one of them during your travels abroad in July?
4. Cool Photos from Travelers
Our travelers snap some of the best, most captivating photos during their adventures abroad and here are a few of my recent favorites.
Hold it! The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, captured by brunetteblonde via Instagram
Glockenspiel in Munich, Germany, via the ACIS Facebook page
Versailles in France, photo captured by erika_acis via Instagram
La Fortuna Waterfall in Costa Rica, photo captured by @seraabeth via Twitter
See what I mean? If you snapped away on your educational tour, consider entering our student photo & video contest this summer. Or, if you’re a teacher, enter our Ultimate Blogger contest. All submissions are due by August 31st, so chop chop and get to it.
5. “What I Ate” Highlights
If your stomach isn’t already growling, it might be after you feast your eyes on these culinary delights. From garlic drenched escargot to gelato dipped in chocolate and topped with coconut shavings, and piping hot Roman-style pizza, these photos may give you a bit of what I like to call—a virtual vacation gut.
P.S. – What’s “Lemon Soda” and how do I get my hands on a case of this seemingly refreshing beverage IMMEDIATELY?
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Overall, I’d have to say the summer of ’13 has been pretty generous! What about yours? Did the summer months bring you to new places or were you caught in a swirling vortex of daydreams about your next visit abroad?
Erin Stern
