Throughout our lives we meet and interact with thousands of people — people that build us up, people that break us down, and people who seem to have little impact on our lives. Meeting people is what makes traveling so special for Edison High English teacher Ms. Gina Corsun. 

Corsun’s honeymoon to Mexico City with husband and EHS substitute teacher Mr. Ken Corsun was her first time leaving the United States and taking an airplane. The trip helped spark her love for traveling.

“I just loved the architecture, the music, the food, the people, and just loved learning about Mexican culture by being in the city,” she said. 

Corsun prefers visiting small towns and cities, calling herself a “city-person.” She said that while visiting major attractions is enjoyable, the heart of a country truly lies within its hidden niches. Diverse communities and exciting stories are found in these unvisited locations, which Corsun said “give the experience of travel.”

Corsun has also traveled across the country by motorcycle with her husband. To her, traveling by motorcycle is special because it attracts many people. Wherever they stopped, someone came up and started a conversation.

“It was nothing like the threatening and uninviting stereotypical image that many have of bikers,” she said, adding that locals were constantly eager to learn more about them and give them advice.

Eventually, Corsun decided that she wanted to get her own motorcycle license. After she completed graduate school, she took a motorcycle safety course and received her license. 

After traveling all over the U.S., Corsun’s dream was to take a tour of the Alps by motorcycle. She spent two weeks riding across Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland with her husband. This experience was surreal and despite the occasional inclement weather, the trip was perfect. Corsun was in awe and, according to her tour guide, could not stop smiling. 

Both Ms. and Mr. Corsun had to cancel two trips due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, but they hope to travel again by the summer of 2022. If deemed safe, their next destinations will be Budapest and Barcelona. 

Corsun advises aspiring travelers to be open to new experiences and not to expect traveling abroad to be like home. The beauty of traveling, she said, is gaining new experiences and broadening your view of the world.