After thousands of homework assignments, difficult lessons, and countless afternoons of preparing for tests, it is only logical that Yorba Linda High School students would desire a long deserved vacation. There are particular places that are exceptionally popular with our own families and students, some destinations closer than others. Among these beloved places are Catalina Island, Mexico, France, and Africa.

Here at YLHS we are fortunate to be blessed with fantastic weather in which on a clear day we can see our neighboring Catalina Island. Catalina Island aside from its touristic beauty, is highly acclaimed due to its close proximity to us making it accessible to weekend getaways and friendly retreats. The island is adventure packed for kayakers and zip liners.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is an extremely touristic area especially around the Marieta Islands. The island is commonly referred to as “the secret beach,” as from far away one believes they are  looking at hills, but in reality one is only a short hike away from a secluded beach hidden in a concave island. Other nearby attractions include freeing baby sea turtles into the ocean, scuba diving, and whale watching. Ashley Yen(12) is visiting Los Muertos beach this summer in Puerto Vallarta with a friend, and says “I am most excited to be able to put my four years of Spanish to practice.”

Paris, France the beautiful “city of love” will always be on many bucket lists. One of the most visited cities, Paris never fails to cater to everyone’s desires, from visiting the Eiffel Tower, to sacre coure, to les invalided, Versailles,the arc de triumph, and shopping in the champs elysee, there is something for every visitor. When asked what his favorite place to visit in Paris was, Gavin Gondalwala(12) said “Musee d’Orsay because it is so rich and you can feel the history of the place. Plus, at night the way it lights up is really magical.”

Twenty hours away lies the continent of Africa. Not only does Africa offer vibrant greenery and exotic wildlife, it also presents many generous hands the opportunity to serve and learn alongside the most cherished of people. Service projects have grown to be most demanded in the past years thanks to increasing opportunities Cat Baugh(12) spent her winter break in Uganda working in an orphanage where she expressed “I was humbled and amazed at the simplicity and happiness of the people, they are a true example of how loss creates capacity for love.” Further north, Morocco is also a highly visited area. Casa Blanca, especially is highly visited. Neelja Bhagat(11) will be visiting Morocco with her family this summer and is especially excited to camp in the Sahara Desert.