Over Winter Break, many Falcons walked through terminals to board flights at the San Diego International Airport. While their journeys began in the same place, each had a different destination planned, filled with invaluable experiences and life lessons. Although these trips could be categorized as “unconventional,” they serve as experiences and lessons that students continue to carry with them. Read about experiences in Řěnice, Terezín and Prague, Czech Republic; Tel Aviv-Yafo, Jerusalem and Tiberias, Israel; Hanoi, Vietnam; Uluwatu and Ubud, Bali and Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan. 

Through local cafes, temples and shops, Arissa Jaswal (11) and her family spent their winter break exploring Hanoi, Vietnam, as well as Uluwatu and Ubud, Bali.

“We had always wanted to go to Bali because we kept seeing it online and thought it looked really nice,” Jaswal said. “The idea of Vietnam was actually inspired by ‘The Things They Carried’ novel we read in English class and we thought, ‘What about Vietnam?’”

Reality struck Jaswal’s family when they started looking for flight accommodations. 

 “The flights were super long, like 30 hours, so we didn’t want to do it all at once,” Jaswal said. “We started looking for places to stop along the way, so we had a two-day layover in Hong Kong.”

In Hong Kong, they visited the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin, went to a special Asian 7-Eleven with unique snacks, and took a tram up to visit The Peak.

Before landing in Vietnam, Jaswal already had some knowledge about the area.

“I had been to Thailand a few years ago, and since they’re close geographically, I expected them to be somewhat similar,” Jaswal said. “I did some research on social media, so I mostly expected good food, low prices and a lot of knockoff clothing. I didn’t know much about the people, but they were extremely friendly.” 

In Hanoi, the family immersed themselves in the local culture, trying speciality egg coffee and choosing walkable breakfast spots.

“After breakfast, we would walk around, looking at shops and visiting art galleries since my parents love art,” Jaswal said. “For lunch, we ate Vietnamese food for the first few days, then later tried Italian and French food because of the French colonial influence.”

Each evening, Jaswal visited street night markets with vendors selling food and various goods.

“It was overwhelming at first, but became really fun,” Jasawal said. “It was touristy, but we don’t mind doing tourist things.”

At the end of the night, her family would get a massage somewhere in Hanoi due to their relatively affordable price of $5 USD.

During her time in Vietnam, Jaswal experienced various culture shocks. 

“When we arrived in the city our first night, it was filled with millions of motorcycles — no stoplights, no clear rules,” Jaswal said.  “To cross the street, you just have to go. Our taxi driver dropped us off about a 10-minute walk from the hotel and told us she couldn’t drive any farther. We had all this luggage and had to cross busy streets. We were panicking, screaming that we were going to die, while my dad filmed us laughing.”

Eventually, the family became more familiar with the cultural differences and now, to them, “crossing streets anywhere feels so calm.”

While Jaswal walked the streets, she observed many people sitting outside on small stools, eating and socializing.

“You see it everywhere, all day long,” Jaswal said. “It was really cool to see how food brought people together.”

After a week of exploring Hanoi, the family packed their bags and took their trip further to the cities of Bali.

In Bali, the family first went to Uluwatu, which was in the south and more coastal, then later went to Ubud, which was more spiritual, used for yoga retreats and healers.

“We stayed in Uluwatu at a large resort, which made it harder to explore,” Jaswal said. “We [visited] cafes, shops, and a temple where we watched a traditional fire dance. One café we went to also offered classes, and while we ate breakfast, people were learning how to play hand drums. It was really peaceful.”

Jaswal recalls the “insane amount” of monkeys she witnessed.

“One stole a guy’s phone,” Jaswal said. “Someone had to negotiate with the monkey using food to get it back. My dad was terrified. There were so many monkeys that he refused to even go to the bathroom when we had to cross a trail of monkeys to get there.”

The family was ill with food poisoning by the time they reached Ubud, but still visited the Tegallalang Rice Terrace and the Kanto Lampo Waterfall on their last day. The family also stopped by cafés, one of which offered hand drum classes.  

“While we ate breakfast, people were learning how to play hand drums,” Jaswal said. “It was really peaceful.”

When Jaswal became ill, she went to the doctor in Indonesia. 

“The conditions were shocking — mold on the walls, cardboard beds, and toilets that didn’t flush,” Jaswal said. “Yet, the medicine was the same as in the U.S., just much cheaper.”

A memorable part of the Bali trip was when their Uber driver drove off the road into a large ditch.

“The driver didn’t know what to do, so my dad had us all get out and help push,” Jaswal said. “Eventually, four guys on motorcycles stopped and helped us push the car out. I couldn’t believe how strong they were and how willing strangers were to help. It was kind of insane.”

Having blood ties to the land, Zahra Alam (11) travelled to Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan with a group of 10 relatives and friends.

“My family is from Karachi,” Alam said. “[Pakistan] is where my grandparents grew up, and my mom used to go there when she was younger. They always wanted to take us there to see it and visit our family.”

Before leaving, Alam was a “little scared,” mostly due to warnings and stories from family members.

“My mom always talked about getting food poisoning and getting sick,” Alam said. “There were so many rules, like taking stomach medicine every morning, not drinking tap water, only drinking bottled water, and not eating fruits or vegetables because the food isn’t very clean. So I was nervous.”

When she got there, it was “pretty much what was expected.” Alam and her family quickly became ill, as their bodies were not used to the uncleanliness of the food. 

During the trip, Alam’s itinerary consisted of visiting family members, having “practically every meal planned at a different relative’s house.”

“We visited relatives connected to each of my grandparents, mostly the siblings of my grandparents,” Alam said. “We had large dinner parties with 35 people at different houses. Most of my family doesn’t live there anymore; many of them are in the U.S., so I didn’t know everyone very well.”

In addition to reconnecting with family, Alam visited sightseeing locations.

“On the first day in each city, we did a bus tour, which was basically all the sightseeing we did,” Alam said. “We saw palaces, and in Karachi, we went to a TDF Ghar museum that focused on immigration and the partition. That was really interesting because that’s how my grandparents immigrated. It connected a lot to what we learned in AP World History. In Lahore, we went to the Walled City of Lahore Fort, which was really beautiful.”

During the visits, Alam reconnected with an old family friend who lives in Karachi but attends university in the United States.

“She said she doesn’t really feel culture shock going back, which surprised me,” Alam said. “She talked about how teenagers there mostly go to private schools, and for fun they just go out to eat or go to the mall — there’s basically one mall, Dolmen.”

Alam was unfamiliar with social norms in Pakistan. 

“The driving [has] basically no rules,” Alam said. “People drive in any direction, stop randomly, and reverse out of nowhere. The roads are packed, and all you hear is honking. On our first day, we literally saw a woman get hit by a car.”

Coming from a country where traffic rules are strictly followed, Alam used a driver to get around from place to place.

“Most families don’t drive themselves; they have drivers,” Alam said. “You really can’t drive around unless you know how it works. People also ride tiny bikes instead of cars, and they fit like five people on them—including babies. It’s terrifying.”

During the trip, Alam witnessed differences in dress norms.

“Everything was just really different because it’s a [developing nation],” Alam said. “I knew beforehand that women are expected to dress modestly, covering arms and legs. You don’t have to wear traditional clothing, but you do have to be covered. That was very different.”

In addition, Alam witnessed a stark wealth gap.

“You’ll see a mansion, and right next to it, people are living in shacks,” Alam said. “It’s extreme. Almost everywhere you go, there are people, often children, asking for money. It’s really sad.”

Another interesting difference that Alam noticed was how everything started later.

“My second cousins from London were there, and they showed us around a bit. Everything happens really late there—like dinner reservations at 11:30 p.m.” 

Life going at a fast pace was something Alam quickly picked up.

“Everything moves so fast there that no one really interacts with you,” Alam said. “It’s not like here, where people casually talk to strangers. Since many people don’t speak English and I don’t speak Urdu, communication was hard. They don’t really try to accommodate, they just keep talking in their language.”

Seeing huge differences between life in Pakistan and the United States was a “truly eye-opening” experience for Alam.  

“It made me feel really grateful,” Alam said. “There was this moment when I was in the car on Christmas, scrolling through TikTok and watching my friends’ gift hauls. Then I looked out the window and saw thousands of kids on the street. It felt so dystopian. It made me realize how many things we have that we don’t even think twice about.”