Sonheim is looking forward to leading TJ students on the first South American excursion next summer. photo by Morgan VandeRiet
Special Education English teacher plans another globetrotting adventure for any interested TJ students.
In the summer of 2018, Jenn Sonheim, one of TJ’s Special Education teachers, will take a group of TJ students on an international adventure to Peru. Sonheim has a great deal of experience within the realm of travelling; she has led three student trips to Europe within the past few years, in addition to her own personal travels. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to lead another international trip, this time to South America.
This year, Sonheim is using a new travel company, Explorica, to organize the trip. “Mr. Jackson discovered [Explorica] and told me about them. I figured we could give it a go; it looks like a less expensive deal for all of the same great experience,” Sonheim noted. Students and their families have the option to pay the total fee of the trip in full, or with twelve smaller monthly payments after an initial payment of $50. The total price includes round-trip airfare, daily meals, hotels, a full-time tour director, select attractions included in the itinerary, and a Tour Diary. An added bonus when one travels with Explorica, the online Tour Diary allows the family and friends of travelers check in with them and follow along with the tour. Every day, the Tour Diary is updated with details about the day’s excursions, so family and friends can get a first hand glimpse at what their traveler is experiencing.
The adventures that the group will go on include various landmarks in Peru’s capital city, Lima, Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and an Urubamba River rafting excursion. Lima, the largest city in Peru and the third-largest city in the Americas, is on the Pacific coast of the country. The sightseers will see Lima’s Governmental Palace, the Cathedral of Lima, and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Cuzco, a much smaller Peruvian city, is located in the southeastern corner of Peru, near the Andes mountains, and is the capital of the ancient Incan Empire. Students will also have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Machu Picchu, a remarkable historical Inca city within the Andes mountains. Throughout the nine days the group will spend in Peru, the students will be able to visit extraordinary monuments in Peru that most people will never get the chance to visit. “I am so excited to go hiking to Machu Picchu. I also saw that we are going to be rafting; it sounds like my kind of adventure,” Sonheim explained.
Sonheim, being an avid traveller, has been more than willing to chaperone these international tour groups during her time at TJ. A few years ago, she took a group of students to Italy, and in June 2015, she accompanied a group to Ireland, Wales, and England. Now, instead of a trip to Europe, she is thrilled to take students to Peru in South America, where she has never been before. “I always let the kids choose where we are going. It makes it fun for them and interesting and different for me,” she said.
Any Spartans who are interested in this Peruvian excursion are encouraged to find Sonheim in room 217 for an informational packet, or visit the tour website here.
