Students Plan X-Mas Getaways

During the holidays, families commonly travel to see loved ones or create special memories around the globe. For students at Charlotte Catholic, traveling is a way to relax after the stress of midterms. While some want to escape to a winter wonderland, others use Christmas break as an opportunity to explore tropical climates. 

Freshman Molly Wharton and junior Sophia Wharton annually travel to Adelaide, Australia during the break where they visit the beach and soak up the sun. Molly and Sophia will stay in their maternal grandmother’s beach house on Semaphore Beach. Since Australia experiences summer during Christmas, Sophia wants to “take advantage of the heat while it lasts and get a good tan.” 

Molly and Sophia are excited to reunite with their family members that they do not usually see. Molly loves “seeing [her] cousins and having a sleepover every night. We stay up all night watching movies and laughing.” On Christmas day, the family will exchange gifts followed by a large brunch before heading to the beach to close out the trip.

Sophomore Sydney Toebben is celebrating her sixteenth birthday in New York City this Christmas break. Sydney plans to make the most of her time in the Big Apple by visiting all of the trademark tourist attractions. She is excited to see the Statue of Liberty during a boat ride around Liberty Island. She will also visit holiday-decorated Times Square before going ice skating in Rockefeller Center. Sydney says, “I have never gone ice skating before, so my first time being in Rockefeller Center is pretty exciting.” 

Sydney will also see an incredible performance by the Rockettes at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She says, “I’ve watched the Rockettes on TV, but I’ve always wanted to see the Rockettes perform in-person.” Other landmarks that Sydney plans on visiting include the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center Memorial. One experience that Sydney looks forward to is going on a carriage ride in Central Park. She says, “It seems so magical to go on a carriage ride in New York City at Christmas time.”

Junior Soleil Demetry will visit Cairo, Egypt this Christmas, making it her third trip to her parents’ home country. She enjoys long plane rides, so she is excited for the almost 24 hour flight. Soleil, her brother, and her parents will stay with her aunt and cousins in uptown Cairo. While visiting Egypt, the Demetry’s usually spend most of their time shopping and sightseeing. “I love going to all of the outdoor Christmas markets and seeing the different selections,” said Soleil. 

Soleil plans to go on a Dahabiya Nile Cruise for the first time. She will be able to sail the Nile River while taking in the sights of the city. For Christmas Eve, Soleil and her family will walk through Al-Azhar Park, a favorite tradition her mother had growing up. Soleil says, “I can’t wait to see my family and visit Cairo again. It’ll be awesome.”

For those traveling during the holiday season, this Christmas will be one to remember.