Tripper of the Week Christina Sours: Ready to See the World
Christina Sours is our Tripper of the Week. Christina recently wrapped up a summer internship at the Tripping offices. Before heading back to school we asked her to share her love of travel with all of you. 1) When/where was your first travel experience? The first time I went abroad I was in 6th grade. That would make me 12 years old at the time. I went to Italy with my family. It was such an amazing trip and really opened up my eyes to the world in terms of history, culture, and landscape. From Rome to Venice to Cinque Terre, we hit all the major sites and visited family in Padua. After that trip, I wanted to travel everywhere!
2) Describe one of your most memorable experiences in your travels. I’ve stayed in San Sebastian, Spain twice, spending time with my cousins there. The Basque country is spectacular, and the best part of those trips was that I got to experience it from a local level, not as a tourist, but as part of a Basque family. My uncle suggested I take a class or do an activity so I signed up for vela (sailing) classes. The thing was, the class was in Spanish and I didn’t really speak Spanish at the time. But I learned by doing, and after a few capsizes and panic charade rounds, I finished the two week course with a smooth sailing tour in La Concha Bay.
3) You most recently took a trip to Belize. What were the best and worst parts? I went to Belize with my parents, two brothers, and grandparents. I’ll get the negative over with and say that if you’re making a trip to the Ambergris Caye, bring mosquito spray! They are everywhere! The best part of the trip was definitely the scuba diving. My parents had been diving all around the world, but over twenty-five years ago. My brothers and I had been certified just a year or two before, so we were beginners. To have all of us 80 feet under, swimming though caverns and petting sharks together, that was something really special. And that’s without even mentioning that the barrier reef in Belize is one of the best dive spots in the world!
4) You are a student in college. Are you planning on studying abroad at any point? Yes! I cannot wait to study abroad, but I haven’t entirely decided where I want to go. Working for
Tripping.com really gave me a whole new set of destinations to consider that I hadn’t even imagined visiting! I have been thinking of going to Southeast Asia or Oceana. Possibly Thailand or New Zealand. Obviously I will have adventures wherever I go, but I really want to go somewhere with a world entirely different than my own. Scuba Diving is a plus as well!
5) Which places are still on your bucket list? My bucket list has doubled in size since working for Tripping. I’ve been to Spain, Italy, south France, Costa Rica and Belize, but compared to many of the travelers I’ve worked with for Tripping, I’m still a baby in the world of travel. I’ve always wanted to visit Australia and New Zealand, and I mentioned I’m looking into study abroad in Thailand. But I hope to travel so much more! Cambodia, Laos, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Guatemala, Argentina…I’ll go anywhere and everywhere! All Photos provided by Christina Sours.