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Kendall Kaestner, junior
“My family and I have traveled
to India, where I got to see and
experience life from a different
perspective. The people I
encountered were very friendly.
They focus on their religion and
family, and are supportive of
each other. It was much different
than what I’m used to and put
a lot of things in perspective.
My family ranks high in my
list of priorities. We’ve been
through ups and downs and I
feel lucky to have had them with
me through them all. I am very
happy with the close relationship
I have with all of them.”
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maskmatters.org
suMMer
2012
How I Spent my
Summer Vacation…
Torrey Pines High school students share
memories of summer vacations
Interviews // Natalie Tesfai
jacK condon, junior
“When I was 16, my dad decided I was
old enough to fully appreciate the culture of
Australia, where he grew up. I have uncles,
grandparents and many cousins living in
Brisbane, Melbourne, sydney and Frasier
Island, so we had a lot of people to see
and a lot of places to go. It was really cool
meeting all the people my dad grew up with
and spending time with my uncles who I
hadn’t seen in a long time. spending time
with my father and other men in my family
was something I really enjoyed. It was good
to see how the men in my family shaped up
and helped remind me of who I want to be.”
dean Meltz, senior
“Last April, my mom, sister
and I went to south Africa to visit
family and friends. We went to
Kruger National Park, where I saw
lions, giraffes and cheetahs. Visiting
Alexandria township, where many
people suffer from poverty, was a
life-changing moment. It really made
me realize how lucky I am to live in
America and appreciate what I have.
spending this time with my family
is valuable to me because I won’t
be able to spend much time like this
with them once I go to college.”
educate
S.A.T. (Student
Awareness Tools)
summer
2012
maskmatters.org
63
Lauren Bickford, sophomore
“my dad is from england, so my parents,
brothers, sister and uncle decided to visit. We
went to Buckleberry, upper Hampshire and other
small farming towns. It was really cool to visit a
place I read about in my world history book and
to connect to the history I’m learning in class. The
coolest part of the trip was when three or four
generations of Bickfords met at a little bed and
breakfast in the countryside. It was exciting to
connect with people I had never met before, but
had so much in common with. I was very excited
to go on this adventure with my family. I really do
enjoy spending time with them and don’t see it as
an obligation. I was more than willing to explore
a part of my family tree I had never known.”
eva BuechLer, freshman
“Last summer, I went to san Francisco with my
sister and dad. my grandmother was walking and
making funny faces so I started to record her with
my phone. my dad caught me and got really angry.
He yelled at my sister and I, and the whole trip was
uncomfortable from then on. We weren’t sure of how to
fix the situation, so we pretended it never happened.
I usually go on trips with my mom, so it was weird
that the one trip I went on with my dad ended up
being so dysfunctional, but shopping with my sister
and bonding with her was really fun. This experience
doesn’t really make me want to spend more time
with my dad, but helped me realize how important
it is for my to have a relationship with my sister.”
Tommy ruTTen, junior
“I went to the stockholm City Hall to give a
speech for the World’s Children’s Prize for the
rights of the Child. I had the opportunity to
meet many people who are working to make
the world a better place including the Queen of
sweden and Nelson mandela’s wife. my mother
and sister were proud of me for being a part of
the organization and I got to travel around the city
and experience another country for the first time
in my life. spending time with my family helps me
realize my priorities. Although I don’t always have
a lot of time to spend with them, their presence
in my life is important. I don’t feel judged by my
mother or sister. They love me and support me
unconditionally, which is something I really need.”
isa de Burgh, junior
“Last summer, I went to
Ireland with my parents, two
brothers and three step-siblings.
On our trip, we took a ferry to
the Cliffs of moher and Liscannor
Bay, where we rented bikes and
rode around the whole island.
It started to rain, so we went
back to the ferry dock, but to
our surprise, it was gone. All
the hotels were full, but, luckily,
we found a bed and breakfast.
There was only one room left,
so all six of us slept in it. It was
an adventure and a bonding
experience with my siblings that I
will never forget. I’m happy that I
was able to spend this time with
the newer additions to my family.
This adventure was a great way
to get to know them better.”