While many students traveled to far and exotic destinations this spring break, others were left scrolling on their instagram feeds by themselves: and in LZ in particular.

It’s no secret that a significant number of LZHS students have the privilege to travel far and wide during spring break. Post spring break social media is often dominated by pictures and posts from Europe, the Caribbean, and everywhere in between. But does the large number of students who travel create a false sense of reality in LZ?

For some students like Kiana Pouyat, freshman traveling is an important part of their lives. Pouyat traveled to Maui, Hawaii over spring break. “I’ve been given so many opportunities by my family so I think [traveling] is just an important part of our lives, it brings my family closer together. Since my parents travel for work often, [traveling] is an opportunity for us just to spend time together,” Pouyat said.  

Other students like Rudy Tabachnik, freshman, who does not travel a lot believes that traveling gives you the opportunity to see different cultures and experience the world. “Traveling gives you experiences nothing else can. Seeing the world for what it is and [seeing] different cultures, it’s something you don’t see everyday. If could I travel more I would just so I could see different cultures, and see a bigger range of things, and not just be stuck in Lake Zurich looking at it though a photo,” Tabachnik said.

Students in our school may feel privileged or unprivileged if they go on vacation. “I think I’m privileged, due to all the work and dedication my parents have put into what they do every day, and they didn’t have the opportunities that I have, and that’s why they give me these opportunities,” Pouyat said.

For Tabachnik, vacations aren’t about going to a lavish destinations, vacations are about the experience and doing things that you wouldn’t normally do as often. “I don’t feel unprivileged that I don’t go on vacation often, but when I go on vacation once every other year and I still feel very privileged that I went places and I had experiences,” Tabachnik said.

Going on vacation allows some students to be open and honest about their experiences and others to be a little more quiet about it. “Some people are humble in the sense that they know that they have enough money to go on vacation once or twice a year, and they know that. Some people are very not tso humble about it. There is two sets of people and I would say a lot of people in this school are not so humble about it,” Tabachnik said.

Privilege is an aspect in our school that students may not be grateful for, or understand, Pouyat said. “I don’t think a lot of people appreciate how really privileged they are because a lot of people can’t do the things that they can do,” Pouyat said.

Some students may not have the same opportunities they have to go on vacation, because of their family or financial state according to Blake Rowell, senior who took a trip to Italy over spring break.

‘I think I have a sense of gratitude for like the opportunities that I have, Rowell said, “but there are also some people that grow up in different situations then I do that might not appreciate it as much.”

“Traveling has taught me about how fortunate I am, because a lot of people don’t get to travel as much as I do and I feel like other people don’t get the opportunities that I have, so it’s taught me to be more fortunate and really appreciate the places that I’ve been,” Pouyat said.