Sloane Murphy (’22)

“My family was going to go to France but we were afraid of getting stuck because of Covid so we went to Quebec because we liked the old town and felt safe going there. The best thing we did was go to the National Heritage Museum where we saw an orchestra and the Pompeii exhibit. I would recommend going to Quebec because it was so cute! The old city is beautiful especially during Christmas because there were little Christmas markets and stuff,” Murphy said.

Zach Legere (’22)

“I went surfing in one of my secret spots; It used to be a totally kook spot but now it’s super good. I started surfing about a year ago when Maddy Diaz was at the beach surfing and I gave it a shot and I have fallen in love ever since. My greatest experience surfing was in Ana Maria with Landon Perrino, we were getting barreled every wave and it was just an overall blast,” Legere said.

Brooke Woodside (’23)

“I went to Chamonix (French Alps) and Paris in France. I went with my family. We went snowboarding in Chamonix. In Paris we went to the Louvre, Catacombs, and the Eiffel Tower. We had a lot of fondue and croissants. My favorite part was snowboarding or visiting the Louvre. I would definitely visit again. My advice for people wanting to also visit would be to plan and book things in Paris way ahead of time otherwise they will be sold out when you go,” Woodside said.

  Hannah Hipolito (’23)

“Over winter break I went on a road trip to Mt. Dora, FL. My family and I spent time enjoying nature there with our dog and walking around downtown. I also spent a lot of time with my friends and family celebrating the holidays. My favorite part of winter break was getting to relax and take a break from school since we had midterms before we left which were tiring,” Hipolito said.

William Campbell (’23)

“I did an escape room the day before break ended. I did it with a group of friends. I chose this activity because I used to do a lot of escape rooms when I was younger, and I thought it would be fun to do with friends. My favorite part was when we were very close to the end and we were all excited to finish. I definitely recommend doing an escape room. If someone does try an escape room, it is important to work as team instead of everybody doing individual tasks,” Campbell said.

Zhen Ortega (’24)

“Over the break I went to Chicago, Illinois with my mom, dad, and older sister. When visiting Chicago, we went to Millenium Park, tons of museums, Willis Tower, and also rode a boat tour that showed off the downtown area’s architecture. I tried deep dish pizza for the first time at a restaurant called Giordano’s. My favorite part would definitely be seeing snow for the first time and also taking a closer look at some of my favorite paintings by Monet at the Art Institute. If I got the chance to, I would definitely visit Chicago again! Even with the 4 days I stayed, I felt like there was so much more exciting things to see and explore. If you go to Chicago during December-February, you should for sure layer up to stay warm in the cold. Also know that some attractions take a whole day to see every part of, like the museums,” Ortega said. 

“I went to see The Nutcracker and I went to Tampa for a New Year’s Eve party! I loved the Arabian scene in The Nutcracker. The dancers were so talented and the choreography was great. Also I loved seeing my friend in the play,” Alannah Stavracos (‘24) said.