When the Community School of Davidson’s (CSD) Europe ‘25 travelers reunited with their families in the Charlotte Douglas International Airport during the late afternoon hours of Friday, April 18, 2025, their suitcases and backpacks were not the only things they brought home. Each traveler returned with souvenirs, glimpses of other languages and cultures, about a million photos and, most of all, the memories and lessons gifted by travel.
The spring break trip was extraordinary on many levels.
Across eleven days, the group visited 5 different cities and countries in Europe, including Dublin, Wales, London, Paris and Amsterdam.
(Callie Hobbs)
The upperclassmen student group traveled by airplane, ferry, train, subway, tram and bus.
There was also a lot of walking to see landmarks, but the miles were worth it, especially to the students.
“I would say my favorite aspect of the trip was learning about all the different famous historical sights we saw,” student traveler Chance Orsi (‘25) said. “It was interesting to hear stories and perspectives people from the various countries had about well known pieces of art, or long standing sights.”
Explorica planned and led the trip, and the CSD group had one guide named Alex who stayed throughout the entire trip in the same hotels, same restaurants, same transportation, etc.
In addition to Alex’s walking tours of cities, the group had some local guides to give more specific information about areas/landmarks.
CSD staff also offered support. Within the CSD community, three math and technology teachers, Janis Houlihan, Becky Metzger and Mark Houlihan were the trip leaders.
The chaperones enjoyed the trip as much as the students.
“My favorite parts of leading the trip definitely have to do with the students themselves,” Janis Houlihan, AP Stats and Math 3 teacher, said. “I loved getting to know each student a little bit more than how I knew them before we left.”
Houlihan also loved seeing student expressions.
“As we visited each new country and new city and new location, I was thrilled to see the students engage with and appreciate all that we saw and did. The joy, amazement, and wonder on everyone’s faces as we toured palaces, navigated the subways, explored castles, walked miles and miles of city streets, tried new foods, tried new languages, brought a smile to my face every single day,” Houlihan said. “I can’t wait to lead another trip and share the world with another group of students.”
The group saw many cathedrals, including St Patrick’s in Dublin and St Paul’s in London plus Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur in Paris.
The itinerary included many other world famous landmarks like Big Ben and Tower Bridge in London plus the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe in Paris.
(Callie Hobbs)
On the water, CSD travelers cruised the Seine River in Paris and the canals of Amsterdam.
They visited museums, too, including the Louvre in Paris, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Guiness Storehouse in Dublin.
Outside of the major cities, the group loved the beautiful sights of Snowdonia National Park in Wales the Palace of Versailles in France.
(Callie Hobbs)
“Seeing the Palace of Versailles in person was one of the best moments on that trip,” Orsi said.
Aside from the big, well known cities listed on the itinerary, the group also explored small towns like Malahide in Dublin, Betws-y-Coed in Wales and Stratford and Windsor in England.
Paris, France, was an especially big hit for the group with the iconic and world famous Eiffel Tower grabbing the most attention.
“My favorite part was honestly being able to see the Eiffel Tower not once but twice and noticing how both times when it sparkled how everybody would stop to look at the amazing scene and take in the awe of such tower, especially realizing how surreal it felt to be under the Eiffel Tower,” student traveler Devyn Sobon (‘26) said.
(Callie Hobbs)
Orsi loved the Eiffel Tower, too, and shared some thoughts on Amsterdam.
“Paris was the most architecturally gorgeous city we went to. I mean, France in general is breathtaking,” Orsi said. “Out of all the places we visited, I would say I loved Amsterdam the most, it’s definitely one of the places I’d love to move to once I’m ready to settle down.”
(Callie Hobbs)
Eleven days and thousands of miles later, CSD’s travelers are forever impacted by the experience of seeing the world. With their newly honed skills of living out of a suitcase and falling asleep anywhere, and their newly created anxiety surrounding the correct expressions and language for greetings, their perspectives on the world have changed for the better.
