The start of winter break was marked by the highly-anticipated return of the Kingswood Oxford Invitational Basketball Tournament, and many students took to the basketball stands to cheer on their friends. Following this, students had almost two weeks off and used it in different ways to relax and recoup from challenging midterms.
Some KO students, like sophomore Ava Leshem, traveled away from home to enjoy their time off from school. Ava flew to Aruba for five days, taking in lots of sunshine alongside her family.
During Ava’s time on the tropical island, she enjoyed swimming at the beach, hanging out at the pool, and fishing with her family. One of her most notable memories was going on a UTV trip around the island. A UTV is a small, four-wheel, off-road vehicle. “It was fun to explore the island and try something new even though I couldn’t drive it,” Ava said.
Ava also enjoyed lots of delicious food during her time in Aruba. Her favorite dish was penne pasta in a cheese wheel that was made in front of her.
Though Ava says everything she did was fun, she wishes she was able to go flyboarding, a form of water-hoverboarding where you get shot up in the air. “The jet ski broke down before I could do it,” Ava said, “so I wish I was able to do that.”
Overall, Ava enjoyed her time in Aruba and says that break went by too fast!
Like Ava, junior Kyra Dunnirvine used her break to soak up the sun. Kyra spent ten days in Florida visiting both Miami and Fort Myers. She went to Miami for a few days with her dad before the two traveled to Fort Myers to spend time with mom and brother. She used her time to scuba dive, spend time with her family, and hang out at the pool.
Kyra says it was a nice break from Connecticut weather. “It only rained one day,” she said, “The weather was really nice.”
Kyra enjoyed being able to relax with her family and earn a break from school. “It definitely was a nice break,” she said, “It was nice that a lot of teachers didn’t give homework.”
While Ava and Kyra enjoyed a tropical vacation, others traveled farther north this Winter. Sophomore Anna Tipner went to Germany for two weeks to visit her family who she hasn’t seen since August of 2019.
Anna’s dad is from Germany and all of his family still lives there, so Anna was used to traveling to Germany every summer before the pandemic. Anna was excited to return this winter and see her cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. She even got to meet her second cousin for the first time.
Anna’s family was scheduled to visit Switzerland to ski as part of their trip, but unfortunately, this part of their trip was canceled due to COVID-19.
While in Germany, Anna enjoyed lots of outdoor activities. “The environment in Germany is so different from the one here.” Anna said, “There isn’t really a way I can explain it. People are a lot more outdoorsy and spend less time inside.”
One of Anna’s favorite activities was a trip to the Weihnachtsmarkt, a street market lined with stalls that each sell a different type of food or drink, such as Baumstriezel, one of Anna’s favorites. Anna’s family also drove one hour to go hiking in the Harz, a mountain region in northern Germany. “Going to the Weihnachtsmarkt and hiking in the Harz, although cold, was an experience that I don’t think that I can get here in the US,” Anna said. “I especially loved being able to do it with my family that I really don’t ever get to see.”
Anna plans to return to Germany in the summer and even travel to Italy after. Next winter break, she will travel to Colombia to spend time with her mom’s side of the family. She is also looking forward to scuba diving in the Florida Keys over March break. Overall, Anna enjoyed her time spent in Germany with her family and is excited to go back!
Other KO students enjoyed spending time at home, relaxing with friends and family. Freshman Lily Temkin was supposed to see “Waitress” on Dec. 26, but it unfortunately got canceled two days before. The show was expected to be taken off Broadway on Jan. 9, but this date was pushed earlier due to COVID-19. “That was really upsetting,” Lily said, “because it was supposed to be our first Broadway show since COVID-19 started.”
Despite her frustration, Lily found new ways to enjoy her break, explaining how she tried to do one fun thing each day. One of her favorites was a trip to Crumbl Cookies, the Tik-Tok-famous bakery that recently opened a location in Manchester. “I have always wanted to go there because it’s really popular,” Lily said. Lily got a box of six cookies: gingersnap, sticky bun, lemon bar, milk chocolate cup, and two birthday cakes. Lily says she can’t wait to go back and encourages everyone to try it.
Lily’s favorite thing she did over break was ringing in the new year with her friends. “That was when most of my friends’ quarantines were ending,” she said, “so that weekend, I was finally able to see people, and it was a good start to the new year.”
Though Lily wasn’t able to travel anywhere, she looks forward to a Disney trip later this month with her best friend and their dads. “It was a combined gift from our parents for our Bat Mitzvahs,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to that because we’ve put it off for so long.”
Overall Lily found time over the break to destress and try new things. “It was a nice break, especially after midterms,” she said.
Though each of these students found different ways to enjoy their break, they all agreed it was much needed and they enjoyed their time off!’
