New York Trip

It feels like a dream now to think back to our time in the BIG APPLE but what a time it was. From the moment the 39 students and 7 teachers met at Melbourne Airport departures to begin our adventure it was clear that we were a family… and that this family was in for the trip of a lifetime.

Our first days we moved in a huge group negotiating the subway and the busy streets as we visited the Statue of Liberty, Century 21, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, the 911 Memorial Museum and walked the Brooklyn Bridge. We were also very lucky to celebrate Mass in the beautiful St Patrick’s Cathedral. It is safe to say that it didn’t take long for us all to say ‘I Heart NY’. What was very special though is how much each of the students engaged with different experiences: some discovered a passion for NYC fashion, some fell in love with Central Park, others gave their hearts to Lady Liberty, all our hearts broke for the victims of the 911 tragedy.

The students were then divided into four specialist subject groups: Baking and Hospitality, Arts, Humanities and Theatre Studies and this is when classroom learning transformed into real life wonder. Humanities hit Wall Street, the financial district, city landscaping on the Highline and Soho; Arts explored the magical Frick, MoMA and The Met; Baking and Hospitality toured (and tasted!) cupcakes, food trucks and the International Culinary Institute and Theatre Studies went to workshops on Broadway in Stage Combat, Scene Study and Improvisation as well as seeing Wicked! And getting a backstage tour!

So if our days were full of sky high excitement from the 86th Floor of the Empire State Building to the Top of the Rock- our nights were also full of adventure. We ice skated at Rockefeller, took selfies at Madame Tussards, sang along at a Broadway Musical and screamed Go Knicks at Madison Square Gardens. And we loved every second of it.

When the time finally came for us to return to our families in Melbourne we knew that we would always have our New York family and a million memories we would cherish for a lifetime!

Chloe Palmer- CRC2NYC Tour Leader

My trip to New York with CRC was a time that together engaged in my studies of global politics and geography with an experience I will treasure into the future. Some of my favourite locations I was privileged to visit included The Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Madison Square Gardens, iceskating at The Rink of the Rockefeller Centre and Broadway. These only accounted for a small portion of the trip however, with the real heart and soul of it lying in all its in-between interactions. This to me meant first hand American cuisine and overwhelming sight-seeing. Most importantly however, the bonding between myself and my peers that was encouraged throughout. New York allowed for the perfect foundation for me to develop new and strengthen existing friendships. And just like my trip to New York came, it passed, too quickly and sadly in a return to Melbourne that felt entirely bittersweet to me. I say this with a broken heart and the biggest smile because while I was torn to leave a trip, I cannot help feel more thankful to have been presented such an opportunity.

Matthew Camilleri Year 12