Nexus Trips Excite the Mind and Soul

Photo+Credit%3A+Haley+Jernigan

Photo Credit: Haley Jernigan

Tired of sitting home during breaks?
Nexus can fix that problem!

As the doors open to welcome the new year, a sea of world travelers entered, sharing stories from their trips. No matter which Nexus trip students chose: visiting a seventh wonder of the world in Perú, learning how to supply medical help to people in Guatemala, bird watching in Panama, or sailing across the blue water in the Leeward Islands, they were guaranteed long-lasting friendships and memories.

Cate Woodward, a senior, has gone on multiple Nexus trips over the years. Her favorite part about Nexus is “going so far out of your comfort zone that you end up finding a little home with everyone; you learn about yourself and create a bond with your peers and chaperones.”

Masha Root, a first time Nexus traveler, describes her experience as ¨different; it changed how I look at the world and changed my perspective into being more appreciative for what I have.” In addition, she added “it was a lot of fun.¨

Nexus trips don’t happen without a lot of research, organization, and preparation! Mrs. Bugg and Mr. Fluharty took us behind the scenes to see how they plan a Nexus trip. The Nexus team begins planning the international trips at the beginning of the summer. Once students return to school, Mrs. Bugg does a week of evaluation where she checks in with the chaperones and makes sure that everyone and everything is still in check. The trips, on average, usually take up to a year to plan, so Mrs. Bugg and Mr. Fluharty work tirelessly to plan these fun, interactive trips for all of the students to enjoy.

Mr. Fluharty started the Nexus program in 2003 with the first four trips taking place in 2004. Since that time, Mr. Fluharty said his favorite trips so far would be #1 Bhutan, #2 Papua New Guinea, and #3 Namibia which is tied with South Africa. In some instances, Nexus cannot visit certain countries that we have visited before due to current dangers, such as Turkey, but don’t worry, there are multiple fun opportunities coming up this year.

Looking ahead, the Nexus program will be offering trips to Norway, Fiji, The Galapagos Islands, and Spain. The seniors have an exciting year ahead with trips to New Orleans, South Dakota, and Indonesia. All the signups will be ready to come out next week and will be going fast. So look out Dolphins, the Nexus season has begun!