The summer season was normally a highlight of the year for many students, full of vacations and a break from school, but the past year was very difficult to enjoy. 

In the midst of last summer, COVID-19 continued to spread over the entirety of the United States and all around the world. However, the Patriots did not allow for the difficult circumstances to put a damper on their extended summer vacation.

Students of all ages took a break from reality and ventured off to various locations for a reminder of what life was like before the pandemic. But, these vacations didn’t come with a complete escape from COVID-19. Students had to adjust plans and comply with specific precautions in order to keep themselves and others safe.

Freshman Ellie Callahan had to miss out on some of the best things Disney World had to offer while on her family getaway.

“I missed a lot of the activities at Disney, like meeting characters, some of the restaurants, and the fireworks show,” said Callahan.

Sophomore Samantha Wohldman went to Destin and had to adjust with COVID as well.

We had to wear masks everywhere, including the hotel,” she said.

For many of the seniors at Parkway South, their final high school summer became a disappointment, to say the least.  Even with the hard times, they would face ahead, these students attempted to create normalcy in the constant unknown by traveling.

“I went on a couple of vacations. I went to the Lake of the Ozarks, New Hampshire and Michigan,” said senior Samantha Chapman.

However, there were many other students who were unable to experience the joy that comes along with summer vacations. Because of COVID-19, an abundance of travel restrictions were put in place leaving many students wondering what their vacation would have been like if it wasn’t canceled. 

Senior Danny Faust planned on going to the UK and Ireland for a school trip in June with the history department, but due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, he could no longer go on the trip. 

“I had to adjust my plans to go on a school trip with about 20 or so classmates to the UK and Ireland. We had initially planned to set off at the beginning of June, but because of COVID, virtually all international travel had ceased by that date,” said Faust.

Freshman Izzy Puccio was affected by COVID-19 as well and had to miss out on a separate school-sponsored trip to the Tetons with her middle school.

“This was my only family trip this summer but I was supposed to go to the Tetons in Wyoming for school,” said Puccio.

Though many trips were canceled or adjusted, students at South were still able to make their trips fun and memorable. Even with safety requirements and masks, students found many exciting activities to do while on their vacation.

Senior Emma Bovaconti, who took a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks said, “The most memorable part was paddleboarding almost a mile in the water!”

Wohldman also said, “we went into Seaside and did some shopping and went to Crab Island which is a huge sandbar.”