People to People and National State Leaders Programs

searching182
Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:07:04 +0000

^ Agreed. I went to Europe the summer going into freshman year, so obviously I wasn’t in it for “honor” or looking good to college. I’ve always been fascinated by history and the world, so this trip was absolutely amazing for me. Sure, we did some touristy things, but can’t go to Paris and completely ignore the Eiffel Tower… But we also did some things that, not only would I not have gotten to do if it was just a family trip, but I also did so many amazing things that I couldn’t have ever imagined!

As for food, we had a ton of cultural meals. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe in Paris and had McDonalds at the airport (it IS an airport after all…), but that was it for the American food!

About medical concerns: somebody sprained their ankle, but the leaders took him to the hospital where he got the attention he needed, and they bought him crutches. Also, another kid fainted b/c of dehydration (our leaders, however, were constantly urging us to drink water), and the leaders immediately took him to the hospital, too. The leaders were responsible and not panicking, and gave the kids the help they needed.

Yes, this program’s not the cheapest thing in the world, but it was definitely worth it for me. Because of it, I’ve fallen in love with the world and the unique people and places it has to offer! It has inspired me to major in anthropology/archaeology and classics, as well as study abroad (I’m not in college yet, but I definitely know what I want to do!). I hope to continue to travel and learn about world cultures.

Sorry for the rant, I just felt like P2P was getting a lot of criticism that I personally don’t think it deserves. So, if you take anything away from my long post, it should be: the experience depends on what you make of it. You can choose to embrace it or criticize it, but I don’t think you can rightly do so unless you’ve experienced it.