Jupiter High students had an exciting spring break, traveling to popular destinations like Rome, the Caribbean and Montana.

Junior Paige Disher ditched the heat and headed northwest to her family cabin in Big Sky, Montana. Disher and her family visit the cabin a few times a year to enjoy skiing and snowboarding.

“It’s always awesome to escape the heat at home and spend some time in the mountains. It’s the best change of scenery in the springtime,” Disher said.

For the week, the Dishers took advantage of the snow and the perfect weather that stayed in the 30s and 40s. Paige and her brother brought along friends, making the trip more exciting.

“Being able to bring my friends out with me to Montana made the whole experience so much more enjoyable. My brother’s spring break lined up with mine, so it was awesome to be able to spend time with him as well,” Disher said.

Seniors Amanda Mikulski and Taven Forsyth went south for their spring break, taking a cruise through the Caribbean on the brand new Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas. The Symphony of the Seas is the largest passenger ship in the world, carrying 6,680 passengers at maximum capacity. Departing from Miami, Mikulski and Forsyth’s excursion lasted seven days, traveling to St. Kitts, St. Thomas and Nassau.

“Being on the Symphony of the Seas was like being on multiple excursions. There was so much to do like zip lining, nightly water shows and silent disco. They had a great show of ‘Hairspray’ and the dining room and dinner was amazing,” Mikulski said.

When Mikulski and Forsyth were in St. Thomas they traveled to Emerald Beach where they swam in the crystal clear water and enjoyed lunch at a tiki hut on the beach.

“Being able to get away for the week to just relax and not have to worry about anything made this vacation relaxing and amazing,” Mikulski said.

Senior Zoie Hawker had one of the more adventurous vacations, traveling to St. Barts for her Dad and brother’s sailboat race. Hawker flew into St. Martin and then took another small plane from there to St. Barts. While that flight was only about 10 minutes, they had to land at one of the most dangerous airports in the world.

“We went over a mountain and straight down to a short landing strip; that’s why it is so dangerous,” Hawker said.

Hawker’s Dad and brother were competing on a 120-foot sailboat called ‘Aquarius’ in the St. Barts Bucket Regatta.

“The Regatta is basically just a sailboat race around the island. I got to go on the boat during the race which was really cool and exciting. It was such a great experience seeing St. Bart’s culture and languages, but also getting to do all the activities there like going to different beaches, surfing and sailing,” Hawker said.

Senior Isabelle Dewaele, along with students and chaperones from Jupiter High traveled to Europe, visiting Rome, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii and Naples.

“The coolest things we were seeing was the Colosseum and Pompeii due to all their history,” Dewaele said.

The trip was for educational purposes but that did not stop the group from having the time of their lives. With a hired tour guide that stayed with the group the entire trip, the adventures never stopped.

“Tomasso our tour guide was the best. Naples was my favorite due to how pretty the area was and how Mt. Vesuvius was so close. Our hotel in Sorrento was even on a cliff,” Dewaele said.

Shari Rodgers, Jupiter High’s AP Biology teacher, organized the trip, exploring sights such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Trevi Fountain.

“My favorite part?  Gelato every day!!!!  I also loved watching some of the kids experience a large european city for the first time. Rome is amazing because it is a modern city full of shops and cafes, but then all of a sudden, you come upon ruins that are 2000 years old.  It’s magical!” Rodgers said.

Having the opportunity to explore so many unique places over spring break made the trip unforgettable.

“I have been to Rome before, but this was my first time in Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri. There were some experienced travelers on the trip, but there were some travelers that had never been overseas.  Everyone had an amazing time, and made some new friends and memories,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers is organizing another school trip to the Galapagos Islands in June of 2020.