Miss Lara’s Favorites

A few months ago, we asked each of the TAP teachers to pick their favorite picture from a TAP trip.  Now that’s not easy, because some of the teachers have been on five, six, or seven trips.  Each of our adventures is around twelve days longs, so most of us take hundreds and hundreds of photographs each time we go someplace.  Some of those pictures are cool moments with our students.  Some of them are incredible scenery.  Some of iconic landmarks.  Some are artsy-fartsy shots that capture a moment on the trip.

Miss Lara took that assignment very seriously, but she couldn’t pick just one picture from the five trips she’s been on with TAP.  Instead, she chose to share one pic from each trip.  She did a pretty good job of representing cool moments with students, incredible scenery, iconic landmarks, and even a bit of artsy-fartsy.

Here’s what she had to say:

For the lucky ones who have been on these trips, you know exactly what I mean when I talk about that weird feeling you get when you actually walk, step, see, cross, or feel something on a trip and think to yourself – “Woah!” To me, that’s what these photos make me feel when I look at them.  I couldn’t pick just one – how do you pick just one favorite picture when you experience so many amazing things?  These experiences are unreal. You can look back and say to yourself, “I climbed a volcano, crossed a crazy bridge, wandered through castles, walked through ancient burial sites, attended America’s Pastime in another country, floated past Mozart’s balcony, walked through ancient Roman ruins, kissed the Blarney Stone, went on a camel ride (in Africa!!!), learned traditional Irish dances, ate cactus at a rest stop, ate dinner on the floor, ate fish on a stick, met international students eager to have a conversation with me, waved at the Queen (or who I thought might be the Queen), walked across Abbey Road, bathed in a natural spring, …”

This list goes on. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Now, one photo from each trip doesn’t do it justice, but you’ll get the idea. Overwhelming, exciting, fun, crazy! In the end, best trips ever with the best kids ever!

Keep Calm and Carry On. This picture is the epitome of London and it makes me smile. The iconic red double-decker bus with London’s clock Big Ben/Clock Tower in the background.
London, England

This photo was taken in the city of Hiroshima in Japan. At Peace Memorial Park, you see brightly colored paper cranes everywhere folded by people all over the world as a wish for peace.                      Words can’t describe the feeling that comes over you when you walk into this park and see the memorials and the atomic bomb dome. Unreal.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan

This photo was taken on TAP’s Spain/Portugal trip; however, this picture was taken in Gibraltar. I think this took all TAP travelers by surprise – this isn’t a pet or a trained animal, that’s a wild ape.  This doesn’t even happen at the zoo! Needless to say this trip had a ton of bizarre experiences!
Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar

This is one of favorite pictures from Ireland. It pretty much sums up the trip – fun! Where else would you get to climb up the side of a castle and have a photo shoot!?!?
Ross Castle, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland

There’s nothing like sneaking a photo when it is forbidden in one of the best known chapel in the Vatican City (that’s why it’s a bit blurry). This picture does not do the celling of the Sistine Chapel justice. Can you imagine Michelangelo spending four years painting this work of art?
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Italy