By Madeleine SutherlandRecord Staff WriterA giant leap over the Atlantic takes courage, but Warrenton High School students and chaperones took the journey to experience the trip of a lifetime.They braved a nine-hour flight to explore London, England, and Paris, France from June 4 to June 13.“The whole trip was an eye-opening experience, but it was scary at first. I have never traveled that far before,” said incoming junior Anna Sutherland.The group had to go the distance to get the reward: a nine-day immersion in European culture and history.Carolyn Cooper, the French language teacher at Warrenton High School, organized the trip abroad for a group of 10 students and eight chaperones. Cooper utilized Education First (EF) Tours to create a dream trip.The group touched down in London on June 4, for the first leg of their trip. Outfitted in matching T-shirts and backpacks, they began sightseeing right after they landed. The group was led around by an eccentric tour guide named Rudy.While in London, students and chaperones were able to visit many different historical landmarks, including Westminster Abbey, the large church in which many famous English men and women are buried. They also visited Buckingham Palace, where the royal family lives, and saw a musical at a London theater.Incoming senior Madeline Carlson expressed her love for the London Eye, a large Ferris wheel in the heart of London that gave a new perspective to the city.Lizzie Nash said her favorite part of London was standing on Abbey Road, where the Beatles had once posed for their iconic album of the same name.Mary Broker stated, “I really liked the architecture of London because it was so old and different. It was refreshing to see something that wasn’t made in the last 50 years in a city.”After spending five days in London, the group then made their way to Paris by train.In Paris, the group visited the Eiffel Tower, the palace at Versailles, and the ancient cathedral of Notre Dame. They walked down the most well-known street in Paris, the Champs-Elysees.The students all agreed that their favorite part of visiting Paris was going up in the Eiffel Tower, as well as eating all different kinds of food.On June 13, the group reluctantly made the trek back to the United States.Through all the fun of the trip, the group faced many challenges as well. A large group meant that traveling from place to place on the underground trains was extremely difficult.“I felt out of place,” said Carlson. “Everyone there knew we were tourists.”The group was also expected to walk from place to place quickly so that they could see as much as possible. Many people in the group fell asleep at odd times and in odd places.All the challenges, however, were worth it. For students and chaperones, the trip was not just a chance to see things they had only heard of or seen on television, it was a chance to discover more about different kinds of people and different cultures, and about themselves.Recent graduate Brianna Vogt stated, “I didn’t realize that we are so lucky to have everything we have in the states. It was very different over there.”Students agreed that the trip made them want to travel more. Many of them are now interested in studying abroad in the future.“This trip was not just a trip,” said Carolyn Cooper. “This trip was an experience.”Students who attended the trip were Mary Broker, Madeline Carlson, Kenedee Chandler, Stephanie Hischke, Mackenzie Miller, Dartrez Muex, Elizabeth Nash, Anna Sutherland, Seth Wolf, and Brianna Vogt. Chaperones were Warrenton High School Counselor Denise Richards, Tina Sutherland, Amy Long, Cindy Carlson, Lynda Chandler, Sheri Vogt, Kay Wilson, and Susan Nash.

A group of students and chaperones is all smiles as they rotate in a compartment of the London Eye, a large Ferris wheel overlooking London.