Q&A: Meet 3 New Road Scholars Who Chose Egypt As Their First Learning Adventure
Find out how three new Road Scholars discovered our learning adventures, why they chose Egypt and what they learned while traveling with us! Meet Chrissy and her partner Christina, who divide their home life between Florida and Maine. And Claude, a solo traveler, who lives in Maryland. They were among 18 group members on Road Scholar’s Beyond the Pharaohs: Egypt Past and Present this spring.
Claude on a camel
Q: Welcome! How did you learn about Road Scholar, and what made you choose a journey with us?
A: [Chrissy]: I was actually in line for a ride at an amusement park when I got into a conversation with someone else in the queue. We were discussing our love of educational travel, and she raved about Road Scholar. Although I was familiar with the name of the organization, it wasn’t until I got home that evening and did some research that I realized the value you get for your money with Road Scholar. I’ve seen a lot of the world, but never those pyramids. Road Scholar offered such an in-depth program in Egypt that we decided to sign up!
A: [Claude]: Visiting the pyramids in Egypt had always been one of my biggest dreams in life. With five of my six grandkids finally having graduated from college (and just one more still in high school), I felt it was time for me to get going. I searched ‘going to Egypt’ on the internet and found Road Scholar. So, I called to get more information and decided to register!
Christina(left) and Chrissy (right) in front of The Pyramids
Q: Overall, what did you learn on this program that really made an impact on you?
A: [Christina]: If you want to feel like you earned a four-year college degree in two weeks, then travel with Road Scholar! I was surprised at how much I learned during this program and the amount of knowledge I brought back to share with my friends.
A: [Claude]: I realized something about myself — that I’m able to retain more of what I learn, especially about the culture and customs of a foreign country, when I have the opportunity to interact with the locals rather than just sitting in a classroom. I developed an understanding for how differently the Egyptian people live. Unlike some of the wealthier, materialistic people I’ve met in my past travels, the Egyptians I spoke with seemed happy to enjoy the simple things in life. I was also fascinated by some of their religious practices. And no matter how many photos I’ve seen or books I’ve read, nothing prepared me for the massive size of the pyramids and how they were constructed, stone upon stacked stone.
Claude with the Sphinx
Q: How did it feel to travel with Road Scholar for the first time?
A: [Claude]: I was impressed with how well Road Scholar handled all the challenges and language barriers that come with group travel overseas. Every detail was taken care of, and we felt safe everywhere we went. I enjoyed being in a small group where most everyone was around my age with similar interests. We laughed and joked throughout our two weeks together.
A: [Christina]: We made a lot of new friends from all over the United States in our group. One even got us hooked on Iowa’s women’s basketball. Since that’s my home state, we now watch the games while texting back and forth. Also, as a former manager in the hospitality industry, I was so impressed with how well Road Scholar organized this program and how professional our Group Leader and lecturers were.
A: [Chrissy]: We’ve been on a lot of large cruise ships, where you never really get to know anyone because people take different excursions, and no specific group is together very long. On this Road Scholar program, it felt smaller and more intimate. We really had a lot of quality time as one cohesive group. And that gave us a chance to bond.
Christina and Chrissy on camels
Q: As a solo traveler on your first Road Scholar adventure, Claude, what were your impressions?
A: [Claude]: I was a little anxious before I arrived. But from the moment I stepped off the plane, I felt comfortable. A Road Scholar representative was right there to meet me, get me through the airport, help me with my baggage, escort me to the bus and deliver me right to the entrance of the hotel. I felt safer and more protected with Road Scholar than I sometimes do at home when walking around my own city! As for the other group members, after we were introduced, we all warmed up to each other pretty quickly. Everyone was friendly to me.
Q: What were your favorite experiences on this Egypt program, if you had to choose?
A: [Chrissy]: Getting up close to so many pyramids (some while we were riding camels!) and then being able to view them from our hotel room. The pyramids were lit up in color at night, and then in the morning, it was beautiful to watch the sun rise over them. We also enjoyed exploring all the temples and tombs.
A: [Claude]: The enormity and construction of the pyramids, arriving at King Tut’s grave and seeing how he was buried — with that beautiful mask of gold. And I wasn’t prepared to be so amazed by all the artifacts we got to explore.
Claude among the ruins
Q: Anything else you took away from your first learning adventure with Road Scholar?
A: [Christina]: Going to Egypt with Road Scholar was a life-changing experience that I’ll never forget. I came home a different person after being able to immerse myself in the culture of a place so completely different than the U.S. And now I realize I still have so much more to learn about our world.
Finally, asking these three wonderful folks where they dream of going next, Christina and Chrissy said they dream of Cuba and Ireland. Meanwhile, Claude’s got his sights set on the Great Wall of China. So, here’s to our newest Road Scholars and their future journeys!
Curious to explore Egypt with Road Scholar? Check out our collection here.