By the end of the summer, almost every teenager went on an adventure of their own, whether it be a camping trip or a visit to one of our many monumental locations around Maryland. But a select few traveled out of the country or just did something utterly amazing – and we got to ask them about it. We set out to find out what these destinations and vacations were all about.

Gabby Zebron

You may have seen your Instagram pages blowing up this past summer with pictures from the Maryland State Fair. The fair was open from August 25 through Sunday, September 6, at the Timonium Fairgrounds. Senior Gabby Zebron was one of the many attendees at the fair. She went on the final Sunday and stayed there from 8 to 11 p.m. with a group of her friends. The fair consisted of carnival rides, food trucks, a petting zoo, live music, and of course a Ferris wheel. The Maryland State Fair was much larger than the local county fairs because of the sheer size of the fairground. Gabby says her favorite part of the fair was The Zipper, a carnival ride where you stand in a circular cage while the ride spins which pulls you up against the walls. Gabby exclaims, “that one was really cool,” and continued on to say, “it was forever long,” because of the duration of the ride. She also went through the mirror maze and went on the claw ride. When asking Gabby if she would recommend other people to go, she 100% recommended it but warned, “the cost could get pricey depending on the activities you choose to do.” Either way, the fair was an excellent way for Gabby to end her summer! 

Macy Budke

FHS senior Macy Budke attended the annual Made in America musical festival Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia with friends. Macy and her friends have made it an annual trip to Made in America since their freshman year; however, they missed 2020 because of covid. They decided that this was their last time attending together because the group will be separated at different colleges for the next couple of years. She explained that because they attended the concert pre-covid, they are used to the larger sized events which has caused them disappointment in recent years. “Last year was better than this year, but still not as good as the first time we went,” Macy explained. She also noted how covid regulations were put in place which cut down the size of the concert in general.

Made in America opens in the afternoon and the concerts end around 10 p.m. The festival features concerts by a variety of artists, food, and a Ferris wheel, but Macy states that “it’s mostly music.” Macy and her friends spent their time observing all the singers, and because of the price of food and drinks at the festival, they ate before entering. Headlining this year were Lil Uzi Vert, Tyler the Creator, and Bad Bunny. Kodak Black was supposed to perform, but he was a no-show at the concert which has since led to many rumors about why. Macy complained that traffic that weekend got overwhelming because the roads had to be shut down.

While Made in America is one of the cheaper and more affordable festivals, Macy was torn about whether she would advise buying early bird tickets at a discount or if she would wait until the list of artists was published to ensure it would be worth the price. No matter when you decide to buy your tickets, Macy still thinks that anyone who doesn’t have pre-covid expectations would enjoy the festival.

Julianna Mullen

Julianna Mullen had a month-long adventure with new foods, great views, and an island full of adventure in – you guessed it – Hawaii. Traveling from Baltimore to Honolulu, Julianna spent 11 hours flying for possibly the best job anyone could ask for. With a family-friend connection, Julianna lived on a joint military base called the Hickam Air Force Base to nanny an 18-month-old while his parents worked. Traveling around Honolulu and Kauai, Julianna met her friend group. “I wasn’t expecting to go there and make a friend group, but I did. I didn’t know that there were going to be other teenagers there… we became a friend group who would hang out every night, go to the beach together, and we still talk today,” Julianna says.

When asked about her funny stories, Julianna began a detailed paddleboard fiasco that ended with three girls stranded drifting further and further away trying to get back to shore. “Then we go in the opposite direction, and we go out too far. Then the wind starts to pick up and the waves get harder to paddle through; so we get stranded.” They ended up spending around thirty minutes out on the paddle boards until her other two friends paddled over to help them. On her last day, Julianna woke up at four in the morning with the dad and the younger son of the family to climb an over 1000-foot volcano to see the sunrise one last time. “I don’t regret it in the least bit. I loved it and I think I am going to go back for that friend group. It was amazing and I’m just so lucky for all the things I got to try there, not just paddle boarding,” she concludes.

Sammy Tomko

Watching the sun set over a glistening ocean sounds like a dream, the perfect vacation. Sammy Tomko set sail deporting from Florida for a week, traveling to Islamorada in the Keys, and visiting Key West with four of his friends. Being on the ocean for the majority of the time felt like a rite of passage for Sammy, who says, “my brothers have also been before, and I just wanted to try it out for myself.” Without experience, Sammy quickly picked up sailing, even saying his new skill was the highlight of the trip.

Being on one of the few islands Sammy and his friends visited during the week, Sammy surfed right into a jellyfish causing it to sting his whole face. “I thought it was pretty funny,” said Sammy. (We did not agree.) Traveling to the southernmost point in the continental USA was not an easy task for someone who has never sailed before, but with much time to learn a new life skill and the drive to do so, Sammy – along with his friends – had a vacation he will never forget.

Addy Rebasti & Angelina Velez

While many dream about taking plans out of a group chat, the power of this friend group went above and beyond for an 11-day trip to Spain. Addison Rebasti, Leah Rhinehart, Natalie Ellerman, Meghan Perez, Bryonna O’Brien, Courtney Robinson, and Angelina Velez all traveled to Madrid, Grenada, Costa De Sol, and Seville.

“I think Seville was my favorite place…. I really liked my outfits there,” said Addison Rebasti, while also admiring Costa Del Sol for the magnificent clearwater beaches. Angelina Velez started to plan this trip at the end of eighth grade, in the middle of Covid. It was not an easy task, but Angelina and her mom pulled it off for a flawless getaway. “We’ve been waiting for three years,” said Angelina.

“We got to roam the Royal Palace which was super, super cool,” says Angelina regarding the tourist locations in Madrid. Angelina even bought a sword on a day trip to Toledo. “My prized possession,” Angelina says. Two to three days in each new location was the perfect number to make memories and witness as much as possible while there.

No vacation is perfect, but with a great friend group, any tragedy is just another funny story and memory. This includes, but is not limited to, needing to be saved countless times from a watercourse, a viewing of an Olive Farm that the group never actually interacted with, and the heat wave for which no one was prepared. Having a mariachi band serenade them, playing with Spanish swords, and always finding friends wherever they went (from Scottish to British tourists), to their tour guide Dan and driver Pablo (“Live, Laugh, Love for Pablo,” said Angelina), these girls will continue to find adventures wherever they go.