By Kamilah Snyder

Not many things match the feeling of landing in a new city or country, stepping onto unknown streets for the very first time, or taking in a breathtaking view you never thought you would see.

The concept of “seeing the world” gets the reputation of being a purely fun concept. Although seeing foreign sites can definitely entertain an individual, it can even more greatly entertain the mind. 

Many of us have experienced the stress of losing luggage, endlessly searching for our gate, or navigating new cities. However, studies have shown that traveling can actually decrease stress. Studies done by Very Well Healthy found that after taking even a three day vacation, travelers reported decreased feelings of anxiety, fatigue, and distress. 

An even more prominent factor that not all may notice is that traveling can be an educational and extremely liberating experience for today’s youth. In fact, recent studies by the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) demonstrate that summer travels can even improve student performance in the classroom. 

Seventy-four percent of educators polled in the study stated that they believe traveling improves student development, while 56% believed that traveling has a positive impact on students in an education and career sense. Teachers on the Granada Hills Charter (GHC) campus tend to agree as well, concurring with this idea of the positive impact of travel. 

“You experience things when you travel, that you would just never experience at home,” English teacher Kristi Vazquez said. “It’s like an espresso shot for a student’s creativity.” 

Aside from purely academic, traveling over summer vacation can serve as an invigorating experience for students, allowing them to gain unique and invaluable experiences. 

“This summer I traveled to the Bahamas for around a week,” senior Audrey Perceleanu said. “It helped me feel more prepared for the school year because it was nice to have a mental break after so much school work, especially with college applications.”

The beauty of traveling is that it transcends knowledge, it provides nuanced insights. It allows students to dream. 

Even students who may not have traveled over this summer, but have traveled over past vacations still recall their time abroad. 

“One of my favorite places I’ve been to and one of the most recent times I traveled on a plane was to Hawaii in November 2024,” senior Kaspar Kromhout said. “I miss experiencing new cultures and activities, they influenced how I go about wanting my future to look like.”

For students, traveling has no bounds. Although traveling may come at a hefty fee, students across campus that have gone on “staycations” or have curated bucket lists of places to go, have been able to allow the idea of travel to inspire them. 

“A sort of bucket list item I have is to travel around the world to try every culture’s foods,” senior Bethany Villalobos said. “It has inspired a dream to actually get to meet and interact with different cultures on a more personal level.”

For GHC students, and students globally, whether it be across the globe or thirty minutes from home, traveling opens doors. As students, it is our job to step through those doors, at least once in our lives. 

After all, traveling might be the only homework that won’t feel like a chore.