Tokyo, Japan would be considered the most popular place to visit among students and staff.  

According to History.com, Tokyo, Japan was first settled around 3,000 BC which back then was known as Edo, but in 1868 the name was formally changed to Tokyo which means “eastern capital”. According to GoTokyo, people that go to Tokyo go and see the cherry blossoms or Sakura blossoms experience something truly magical.  It’s most recommended to visit the cherry blossoms from late March to early April. Thousands of trees burst into bloom, fill the streets with a stunning shade of pink. People that attend the parks would hold Hamami parties, and picnics to be able to photograph the cherry blossoms. As stated by Toki.tokyo, Tokyo is also known for its Japanese traditional architecture. In fact, Japanese traditional architecture can be dividing into eight main elements which are wood, roofs, shoji, fusuma, tatami, engawa, genkan, and the relationship with nature. In a random survey of students and staff, 24 out of 60 chose Tokyo, Japan as the place they would like to travel to.   

“Siempre he querido ir a Japón. Iba ir el año pasado pero tuve que cancelar mi viaje por culpa de COVID,” student teacher Erika Fernández said.  

“Tokyo seems like a fun and lively city to explore. I also really like the traditional architecture and gardening in Japan,” senior Moises Enciso said.  

  In a random survey 16 out of 60 have chosen Cancún, Mexico as the place they would prefer to travel to. According to Yucatán Holidays.travel, Cancún became a tourist resort town in the year 1968. However, in the year 1970, the construction of many hotels and tourists were established. In proportion to Executive Travel, Cancún has been considered one of the places to go for vacation. In addition, Cancún is a Caribbean destination that attracts thousands of beach lovers and spring breakers. Cancún offers unparalleled luxury meaning that is the most developed area in all of Mexico with tons of hotels and resort options. Also, it offers year-round sunshine in other words wherever you might live where the temperature is below 50 degrees, Cancún will be a good place to visit.  

“I chose it because I have always wanted to go to a tropical place with a beach and Mexico is the closest on the list,” senior Marisol Nuñez said.  

“The reason why I choose to go to Cancún is mainly because some of my family is from there. I want to have a chance to visit them and meet their culture and the amazing place they got,” senior Daniela Moreno said.  

  According to a survey, 10 out of 60 choose Rome, Italy as the place they would travel to. According to History.com, Rome was found by Romulus and his twin brothers on April 21, 753 B.C. As stated by Bucket List HQ, Rome, Italy is known for the famous Italian food, vacation city, iconic sights, Trevi fountain, and the Colosseum. Mostly, Rome is known for their variety of food they have, which makes it hard for people to know what dish to start with. In addition, tourists that visit Rome should plan on seeing the Trevi Fountain. The Baroque fountain is one of the most famous in the world and hundreds of travelers descend on the fountain each day to throw a coin into the water. In fact, an average of €3,000 of coins are toss each day. Accordingly, to National Geographic, the Colosseum in Rome, Italy is considering the largest amphitheater that hosted events like gladiatorial games. In fact, the construction of the Colosseum began sometime between A.D. 70 and 72. Every year over 6 million people visit the Colosseum.  

“I chose Rome, Italy, because I find their buildings very interesting and detailed. This includes the structure of the houses and I think they are beautiful. I became more aware of Italy through TikTok, which is what led me to want to travel there in the first place,” senior Wendy Perez said.  

“I want to go to Italy because it seems like such a beautiful place to travel to with amazing views, food & people!” senior Alisha Saldana said.  

  In a random survey, 7 people picked Santorini, Greece as a place they would travel to. According to Earth Observatory, around 1620 B.C. the fourth and latest major eruption created the present-day island and caldera bay of now known as Santorini volcano. Accordingly, to Holidayextras.com, Santorini, Greece is best known for the sunset. In addition, people that visit Santorini would flock their early evening just to experience the amazing sunset. Although, the island of Santorini stands out most because of the distinctive architecture. It also shares the same features with the rest of the island that lies in the Aegean Sea.  It is especially known for the Cyclades with whitewashed houses, blue-domed churches, and paves pats. The dominant white and blue colors of the Cycladic architecture is a symbol of Greece, and it represents the color of the Greek flag. Stated by Greektv.com, nearly 2 million people go to Santorini, Greece. It is also known for its delicious Greek food which is one of the many things that people that visit the island fall in love such as the Santorini salad, melitnia (sweet cheese pie), and the ntomatokeftedes (tomato fritters).  

“All of the options sound very beautiful and would have different experiences, but I would have to say Santorini. The landscape and architecture are so intricate, and I think summer and sunsets would be amazing in Greece. I am not sure how much I would enjoy an almost 15-hour flight, but I know it would be worth it. If I ever get to Greece one day, it would be the farthest I have traveled from Illinois!” student teacher Noelle Lowther said.  

“I choose Santorini, Greece, as a place I would visit because I love places where you can see the sea and if you’re at a high altitude, you would be able see an open view of the sky and basically all the land. Just seeing the sun set, in a way it just brings happiness seeing how pretty the sky can change to different colors and I’m sure at that specific place, you would be able to get a perfect view of the sun setting. Also, since it’s a different country, it would be cool trying their foods, and learning about its history. I would say the architecture of Santorini and the view is what makes me want to go because it’s very different compared to the U.S and it’s a really beautiful place,” senior Isabel Muñoz said.  

  According to a random survey 3 out of 60 have chosen The Northern Lights, Iceland as a place they would visit. As stated by Icelandair, scientific explanation is that the Northern Lights came only in modern times. In addition, Benjamin Franklin would observe them during his trips across the Atlantic in the late 1700’s, but Norwegian scientist Kirstian Birkeland did series of experiments in the early 1900’s. The Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights have been a captivated people over centuries. Throughout history, humans in the wildernesses of the world have gone in the dark night and gazed up in wonder at the iridescent bands of green, red, yellow, pink, purple, and white lights that are swirling around the sky. Meanwhile, Iceland is one of the most magical destinations to track down the Northern Lights. In Iceland the official aurora-spotting season runs from October until March. Also, to be able to see the Aurora Borealis during winter is in Iceland because of the depth of winter and the nights are longer, icy cold which is less water vapor clouding the skies. That said, the Aurora Borealis has been observed as early in August and late April too.  

“The reason why I want to go to The Northern Lights is that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. People tend to pick places that are somewhat overdone. Going there would be new, cold but also adventurous. Seeing the colors in the dark would also be an awesome experience,” college student Luis Velazquez said.  

“I choose the Northern Lights, Iceland because I wanted to see the lights ever since I was little and watched The Polar Express,” junior Nailea Chavez said.