As the end of the school year approaches, students across Woodward’s Upper School are anxious for the moment the 3:15 p.m. bell rings on the last day of school. While we are all here physically, our minds, realistically, have most likely drifted off elsewhere…anywhere…but here at school! After a long school year of hard work, loads of homework and endless papers, students can daydream about their ideal destinations as long as we’re still here on campus.
Beach
Many of us dream of vibrant, tropical islands and relaxing on the beach.
Zion Heron ’29: “My family’s from Jamaica and like I’ve always had a good time whenever I go, and I’ve never been to Turks and Caicos.”
Kaden Thompson ’27: “It’s a very tropical and vibrant place, you know. It’s a lot of things to do there, chill, you know, enjoy the sun.”
Ben Lemon ’28: “I would go to the Maldives and be on the beach. It’s beautiful and there’s no war.”
Malia Anderson ’28: “I’d go to Italy…because Italy is so pretty. We’re going to like, the beach, like, that side.”
Camella Calli ’26: “I would go to Italy because the food is fantastic and the view is beautiful. I would go on a gondola and I would see my family. I’d go to a cooking class.”
Madison Coleman ’26: “I would go to Bora Bora with my whole class and have another class trip. Day one, chill out, get together, just a small little hangout, and then day two, beach party. Day three… chill out, maybe jet ski. And then day four, white night again.”
Claire Cavanaugh ’27: “I would go to Hawaii because it’s just so nice there and you don’t have to worry about anything there. I’d go in the ocean, in the pool, and I’d have a lot of just food, like really good food. And I wanna go on like hikes and stuff, take cute photos, like it’s so nice there.”
Leighton Stump ’27: “My parents met there and I would also love to go surfing on the beaches there. I would love to go shopping and surf and probably go to the spot where my parents met.”
Izzy Paty ’26: “I really want to hug a koala and I really also would like to see the Great Barrier Reef. I want to see, okay, all the touristy spots like the Sydney Harbor thingy, whatever that is. I want to go to Australia. I want to go surfing in Australia. I love surfing.”
I think all of us can say we just need a bit of sun, saltwater, and sand. Studies actually show that the nutrients we get from the sun can help replenish us, which is necessary from the long and tiring school year.
Europe-Girl Summer
While many students dream of places with the hot sun, others have a taste for sightseeing, learning about new cultures, and trying new food. Paris and Spain were popular among students for the food, culture, Spain’s artistic atmosphere and for Paris, you guessed it, the Eiffel Tower.
Haley Harris ‘27: “I would probably go to Paris and eat Paris food.”
Sophia Whitfield ’29: “I would go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower and see Bakeries because thats where my dads from and I think it’d be really fun to get to see the culture around there”
Carson Cotton ’29: “I would probably go to, like, Spain, and because they have like really good parties there. probably go see like their museums and stuff.”
Lucas James ’28: “Probably Spain. For the culture and the food. Just relaxing and trying new kinds of food.”
The Other Side of the World
Parallel to students wanting to see rich culture, Japan has captured the interest of some students. From the unique gastronomy, ancient culture and beautiful architecture, these students believe there is so much of the country to visit and explore.
Caelen Khan ’28: “I’ll go to Tokyo, Japan, and take a bunch of pictures with the cherry blossom trees. It’s always been my dream vacation spot. I always thought it looked nice there, and they probably got good food.”
Aniyah Harrell ’27: “I will go to Japan because I’m just curious to see what other parts of the world besides, like, North America…and, like, I just want to see, like, different cultures besides mine”
Corinne Rodriguez ’28: “I would go to Thailand and teach little kids with learning disabilities.I love the culture and the scenery and all the cool places you can go.”
Emilee Hannon-White ’26: “I would go to London to study abroad to further my cultural experience and my traveling experience. I would visit all the local shops and what is it? … immerse myself in their environment.”
Nia Scott ’26. “I would go to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil […] I would go to Christ the Redeemer, and I would go to the very top… and then I would also go parasailing around Jesus Christ the Redeemer. …Rio was my favorite movie growing up, and … it meant a lot to me and my dad because we used to watch it all the time growing up. And so it would be a full circle moment for me to experience it like the birds did in the movie.”
Caroline Greer ’26. “I would go to Antarctica. I would go to Antarctica and I would go see like the wildlife. Antarctica because it’s a really rare place to go. I would choose somewhere that’s not basic like Japan or something.”
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Sometimes, we all just need a break, and although summer is right around the corner, it seems like seconds have turned into minutes and hours have turned into days. With only 20 days left of school, these perfect destinations can turn into reality sooner than we know it, but until then, continue residing in your ideal destinations.
