What can a student learn in Italy that can’t be learned from Google? On Google, a student can learn a language, the monetary values, the culture, the customs, and the history. On Google, there are pictures and videos a student can watch to feel as if they are living in that country. So what? Why would someone ever need to waste thousands of dollars to fly to a country or place to experience this?

The lessons that are so priceless, even Donald Trump couldn’t buy them.

The food. The three-course dinners.

Feeling the rough texture of ancient ruins.

Human interaction.

Feeling courageous using subways and public buses infested with pick-pocketers.

Practicing a language with people who know the language through and through.

The experience. It is all worth the world. It is worth the thousands of dollars spent to meet new friends and connect with new cultures and ways of life. You can’t read that in a textbook or watch it on Google. The knowledge is what you can take with you anywhere.  Since returning home, I have been inundated with questions from others curious about the experience.

“What was Italy like? How was the food? Tell me about it all.”

There is much to be told, and there will never be enough time to tell it all. All I can say with a new confidence is, the toilets do not have seats in Italy, the gelato was glorious, and the people there are really skilled drivers.

Mr. Congo, the Latin teacher, was one of the chaperones on the Italy trip last week, and he said, “I think student travel is important for helping student gain a global perspective. I think it is important for students to recognize that there are more cultures outside of the United States. By traveling, students are able to experience this firsthand.”

Senior Andrew Smith was also a traveler on this trip. “Cultural diversity is crucial to success in the modern, globalized world. Without a deep understanding of other cultures and people–something brought in abundance by travel–students risk missing key tools that help them in business and casual settings.”

Technology is great and wonderful, but there isn’t a Google Search or even a virtual reality headset that can rival the experience of actually experiencing other parts of the world with your friends at your side.