The climb up the hillside in Kyoto, Japan, began with a stroll through a shopping district before shifting into a steep ascent toward an ancient temple. Rain suddenly poured from the sky, soaking everything in its path. Students rushed for cover, but junior Marley Wein embraced the moment.
“It was probably the most beautiful rain ever,” Wein said. “Everybody hated it. I loved it.”
Half a world away in Nairobi, Kenya, sophomore Olivia Black crouched in the dirt with her peers, shoveling trenches and filling them with gravel. Buckets of cement followed, though the work often stalled at massive boulders.
Slowly, the foundation of a new school began to rise.
The sun was hidden behind an overcast sky, but the humidity still clung to every movement.
Still, the labor had a purpose, which was giving Kenyan children a chance to receive an education.
“…I got to see them further their education and help with classrooms,” Black said. “I could see that they were very joyful and very grateful that we were here.”
Both Wein and Black spent their summers abroad, each seeking challenge and perspective. Though they traveled to different continents, both returned with new insight into culture, community and themselves.
For Wein, Japan offered both history and independence. She visited Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, mostly venturing out on her own during the 10-day duration.
Her fascination with tradition took her to temples, Nara Park where deer bowed in return for food and even gas stations with fresh bakeries.
“I really wanted to see more of that and understand different places a lot more,” Wein said. “It was kinda more of a thing for me because I don’t get out a lot and do things by myself, and I didn’t go with anybody else.”
The temple rainstorm became a moment of reflection. Wein slipped off her shoes beneath the gate and listened to the story of people who once leapt from a ledge hundreds of feet below to prove their courage.
That blend of history and beauty shaped her travels.
“I loved being there, it was so amazing, it was so refreshing,” Wein said. “I didn’t regret any second that I was there.”
Along the way, she slowly gained confidence traveling without close friends and learned to develop a deeper respect for cultural differences.
“It teaches a lot about how to look at people and how to better see things, to not judge people, and to take a second to think things with people’s perspective,” Wein said. “I just find that so beautiful, and so cool, and almost inspiring.”
Spanish teacher Connor McNeely, who has led SHS travel trips since 2017, guided the Japan group through the SHS Travel Club.
“We always get off the plane, and the students are a little nervous, a little apprehensive, and by the end, they are independent in a way,” McNeely said. “They had the Southport perspective, the perspective of them or their family’s ways, and now they have
a global perspective they might have never had before.”
Black’s trip to Kenya came from curiosity and inspiration from her sibling’s volunteer work. She joined Humanitarian Experiences (HXP), traveling for the first time by airplane.
Outside of construction, she went on a safari, hand fed a giraffe, and petted an ostrich.
“Honestly, I learn to be grateful for the things I have,” Black said. “…These kids, they didn’t really have that stuff, and so I wanted to remember that there’s someone out there who’s in need.”
Like Black, senior Hope Sybrowksy came away with a similar perspective. Although the two weren’t close when they initially met, their shared interest in the culture and experiences on the construction site would gradually impact their bond.
“There’s so many things that we have access to that they don’t, and I realize that, and honestly, I was probably taking them for granted, and I shouldn’t be…” Sybrowsky said. “I don’t want them to go through it, but yet they find ways to be happy with what they have.”
As the time comes, both Wein and Black hope to one day return to the countries they have visited over the summer again if given the chance.
Wein has her sights set on destinations including Thailand, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia and Jamaica. Black has thought about seeing South America, particularly areas near the Amazon, as well as islands like Tahiti or Fiji. Summer comes only once a year, and Wein
and Black made the most of it by traveling abroad, exploring new cultures, and creating lasting memories. Whether it was bowing to deer in Japan or building classrooms in Kenya, both Wein and Black gained far more than souvenirs. They carried home new perspectives.
“Honestly, I think it humbled me, and it made me realize that the things I have are important,” Black said. “…And it also helped me realize that I’m tougher than I thought I was.”
