On a rainy day in Edinburgh, Scotland a plane filled with excited students finally touched down. Although the day was gloomy, sophomore Caitlin Murray hadn’t noticed.

“When I got off the plane, I was overwhelmed.” she said.

Murray was given the opportunity to travel to England, Ireland, and Wales as well through the People to People Student Ambassador Program.

The People to People Student Ambassador Program allows students, who are interested in seeing the world, to challenge themselves to grow by experiencing local customs, by meeting their international peers, and by taking their place in a global society.

The program requires a student to fill out an application and then be accepted. Once accepted, the student takes part in pre-travel preparation meetings. These meetings encourage the members to interact and form bonds before they leave the country. During this time, the students also complete specific assignments designed to increase the learning opportunities.

The whole trip lasted for 21 days and took place over the summer, so Murray did not have to miss school. During the trip Murray and her peers were introduced to four different cultures. They were taught traditional dances, ate local favorite foods, and even had the opportunity to go on exclusive tours.

Murray was intrigued with the architecture. “The buildings were unique and different from America, it made everything pretty cool,” she said.  Her favorite part of the whole trip was visiting a castle in Wales, Murray’s group was given a “full on” private tour.

Murray’s adventures do not end there though, she already has another trip planned for China. And that will be a whole different story.

Caitlin and Ashley overlooking the Big Ben while on the London eye (Caitlin Murray, left, Ashley O’Brien, right.)