As summer nears, seniors prepare for traditions such as senior pranks, Senior Ditch Day and graduation festivities. But another tradition — a theme covered in classic movies such as “Taken” — is one of the most highly anticipated: taking senior trips.
Senior trips are a vacation, usually taken the summer after graduation, where seniors embark on an adventure with their friends from high school, a last hurrah for the memories they’ve made in high school.
“Basically, it’s when you can enjoy a summer with your friends and not have to worry about academics or college applications. You can just relax and have fun,” senior Vera Hsu said.
In order to organize these trips, seniors often plan months in advance to ensure that the trip runs smoothly. Cost, transportation and housing are obviously important aspects to planning a senior trip; however, another major roadblock to a lot of group’s planning is parental approval.
Senior Gaurav Mohan and nine of his friends initially faced this difficulty upon deciding the location of their trip. While Mohan wanted to travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — his older sister went for her senior trip — many of his friends parents were uncertain about an international trip with a group that large. Instead, the group decided on visiting Orlando, Fla.
“We wanted to go somewhere where we probably haven’t gone and wouldn’t go in the near future. Orlando is similar to Southern California, but Florida has the Everglades and Disney World,” Mohan said.
To avoid facing difficulties that come with going to a foreign country, some groups opt out for locations some members are familiar with; in the case of senior Vera Hsu, she and her group of six friends are going to Taipei, Taiwan, where her family owns a house, eliminating the cost of housing for the trip.
“We wanted to do an international trip but we were hesitant because of costs like hotel, food, and shopping,” Hsu said. “We decided to go to Taiwan because I have a house there. Since I'm familiar with Taiwan's streets and it’s [the group’s] first time going [to Taiwan], it'll be fun.”
Despite the difficulties of planning, seniors willingly put themselves through the stress because they know that the trip will be a cherished ending to high school.
“A senior trip [is an opportunity] to enjoy our last time that we’ll all be together by ourselves, before we go to college,” Mohan said. “It basically commemorates our friendship for the last four years.”