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Over Christmas break, many teachers and students were either busy spending time with family or traveling to see distant relatives. Math teacher, Jared Kaiser, traveled with his wife, former FC teacher, Jordana Kaiser, to the Canary Islands and Paris, France.

First, they traveled to the Canary Islands and stayed on the Island of Tenerife. Kaiser and his wife were there for ten days. In Tenerife, they were able to visit different beaches and relax.

Although the beaches and scenery were beautiful, Kaiser reports that the people on the public transportation were very rude. However, the taxi drivers were very friendly. He also describes driving on the island as being quite a hassle.

“A thing to remember is that driving over there is not recommended,” said Kaiser. “Everyone drives as if they are the only ones on the road.”

While in the Canary Islands, the Kaisers were able to meet various different types of people from all over Europe. Kaiser describes the Canary Islands as the Hawaii for the European countries.

“The island is like the Hawaii of the European countries,” said Kaiser. “It is quite interesting to meet all the different types of people that are there. We met a lot of different people who moved from another European country to the island and have been there for many years. It is similar to the way people move to Hawaii.”

Being so close to the beach was a nice change for Kaiser. While growing up, Kaiser lived fifteen minutes away from the beach. Now it takes two or more hours for him to get to the coast. He described his experience on the Canary Islands as feeling like home.

“I loved being close to the ocean again,” Kaiser said. “It made me feel at home, when I could just relax near the water. Being near the water and just enjoying the scenery was the most enjoyable part for me.”

Next, Kaiser and his wife traveled to Paris, France. They stayed in Paris for five days before heading back home.

As they explored Paris, Kaiser and his wife traveled to the top of the Eiffel tower. While on the Eiffel Tower, they were asked to take pictures for a man who was going to propose to his girlfriend.

The Kaisers also went to the stock tracker and the Louvre. Unfortunately, the day they went to visit the Louvre, it was raining and they did not have the tickets to go inside. Although the sightseeing was fun, Kaiser says his all-time favorite moments of the trip were being able to sit in cafes in Paris and play cards with his wife.

“One of my favorite parts had to be in Paris,” Kaiser said. “We did a lot of sitting in cafes and just enjoying our time together which was a lot of fun. It was nice and relaxing and very enjoyable. We also played a lot of cards.”

Kaiser spent New Years Eve in Paris. He describes his experience as very similar to Times Square, but way more crowded. As they traveled many places during Christmas Break, it was time to head home to teach.