If any student had the opportunity to talk to Mrs. Stanley, they’d quickly realize her passion and zeal for foreign languages and cultures.  In her career at Herrin, Mrs. Stanley always endeavored to bring that love into and beyond the classroom.  One of her primary ways of exercising this was her sponsorship of the French Travel Club.  This summer, the club took its last trip under Mrs. Stanley to New York City and the French-speaking province of Quebec.  

“I wanted to take this trip to introduce the kids to a place where French was spoken in everyday life,” Mrs. Stanley says of the Francophone aspect of the trip.

The club assembled on June 15 at one in the morning before Herrin High.  They loaded onto a school bus and drove to the St. Louis Lambert International Airport.  After a brief stint in the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the club landed in Quebec City and was greeted by their local tour guide, Charles “Chuck” Vezina.  He took them on a walk throughout the city, from the lower, more modern city (La Basse-Ville) to the upper, old city (La Hauteville).  They stopped for a first dinner in an Irish pub and took a brief respite before retiring to the hotel.

On a first-impression basis, Payton Martin didn’t notice much of a discrepancy between Canada and the United States.  However, upon entering the main city, he began to perceive more of the European style of architecture and the language difference. “It was really exciting to see the culture and hear the language being spoken, but at the same time, it was very intimidating,” says Sophie Camarato, a fresh HHS graduate who had taken French for all her four years at Herrin.  “My biggest fear was speaking in general because they didn’t understand me when I did speak.  I loved that I went though, it is something I’ll never regret.”

On the second day, the group met a new tour guide, a woman called Marie-Pierre Lessard (“nomad.tours.quebec” on Instagram).  With her and Chuck, the French Travel Club took a bus tour to the Quebec Parliament Building and the Plains of Abraham (the site of the battle that signified the end of French rule over Canada).  Saying goodbye to Marie-Pierre, the club enjoyed a river cruise along the St. Lawrence River.  The third day saw the club visit the Sanctuaire Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, the Montmorency Falls, and a traditional, rustic Canadian dinner.

Because of Canada’s history with French-Catholic settlers, Quebec is heavily inundated with Catholic ideals, principals, and churches.  “I’d say that we went to so many churches,” says Gracie Craft.  “We just went to a lot.”  However, Braden Davis (11) said: “All of the churches we went to were beautiful, and I loved the architecture. Learning the history behind each church and the religious aspect was enriching.” Passing a bus journey from Quebec to Montreal, the group arrived in Canada’s second-largest city on June 18.  “Montreal was interesting because you can learn more about French-Canadian city life,” says Davis.

The second day in Montreal saw the club go to the Bio-Dome, a building that features the four main ecosystems of the Americas—sub-polar regions, South American rainforests, North American wilderness, and an estuary modeled off the St. Lawrence River.

Having rushed to the hotel to change and cool off (a heat wave swept over Canada the day after the club landed), the group dressed for dinner.  With a set menu, the club had the choice of an appetizer and main course.  The club indulged in the same dessert, a chocolate cake. “I expected good food and the experience was similar to Mary’s.  The quality was similar to Mary’s fine dining.  The tartare was my favorite thing to eat,” says Maddie Martin (11).  She, however, did not much like the endives—a bitter leaf vegetable used in salads. With their last meal in Montreal, the travel club returned to the hotel, conscious of leaving Canada the next day.

Before departing Montreal, the club said one last goodbye to Chuck and took off for their next destination, New York City. It was projected to be a hot weekend in New York City, but not even the heat could dampen the excitement that the travelers had for the segment of this trip. The New York LaGuardia airport was extremely crowded and chaotic.  But amidst the chaos, the group’s tour guide, Daniel Lieter, emerged.  

The first day of the tour started with a brief dinner at the famous Applejack Diner, a stop at Trump Tower, and a visit to Rockefeller Plaza and the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, which allows for a full panoramic view of the city. “I also wanted them to experience a big city like New York.  I valued introducing the students to new things and new possibilities for their lives,” Mrs. Stanley comments. 

On the second day, the group took an excursion to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. “The Statue of Liberty was good, it was less than I thought it was going to be just cause of the hype it’s gotten over the years,” says Gracie Craft.

“Ellis Island was very important to me and my ancestors. I got emotional standing in the waiting room,” says Megan Stanley, Mrs. Stanley’s eldest daughter, an artist based in Los Angeles.

But the day wasn’t over yet, for the group went through Times Square and ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp, a staple made popular by Forrest Gump. After everyone had finished eating, it was time for the Broadway show everyone had been waiting for. Back to the Future, the Musical was an incredible show, and the group had an amazing experience.“I loved the feeling I got from the whole experience from walking there and finding my seat to buying from the merch stand.  I love musicals and I am definitely so lucky I got to see bttf [Back to the Future] since it’s one of my favorite movies,” Gracie Craft gushes. 

“It [New York City] was full of so much life and I couldn’t help but wonder about the backstory to everyone’s faces I saw,” Gracie Craft recalls.  “The Statue of Liberty was good, but the overall experience was a little overhyped.”

The group visited the 9/11 Memorial on day 3, which was a somber moment of reflection and paying tribute. There were many exhibits to walk through, observe, and learn from.  Many found the reflecting pools to be a powerful reminder of the events. The afternoon was more lighthearted, and Mrs. Stanley allowed the travelers to go in groups to see either The Notebook, The Great Gatsby, or Moulin Rouge on Broadway. 

“I was starstruck from the casting… The people cast are well-known in musical theater.  The costume design was ingenious.  Watching the musical is my first time experiencing the story,” says Maddie Martin (11), who went with a group of her fellow travelers to see The Great Gatsby on Broadway.  The musical is currently trending on TikTok as the newest adaptation of Fitzgerald’s classic novella, read in HHS English classes. A venture through Central Park with a carriage tour concluded the evening, and by that point, many were ready to return to the hotel for some rest.

On Sunday, the final day had arrived, and the travelers were allowed the whole day of free time before departure. Some went to famous museums, such as the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan. Other ventures included visits to Little Italy and Chinatown, The Empire State Building, and Serendipity. Many students said that this was their favorite day in New York City. 

After an exciting and exhausting nine days, it was time for the departure back home. The club boarded a bus to the New York LaGuardia Airport and then said one last goodbye to the city before the flight back to St. Louis. Upon arrival at St. Louis Lambert Airport, the travelers boarded a bus and soon were back to Herrin, back to a home in a world that seemed so much grander.

“Travel expands your world. It makes things at home seem manageable because you’ve triumphed over so many new challenges abroad” says Megan Stanley, looking back on the memories she made.