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Meet NETC Group Leader, Sue Williams

Jun 30

Written by: Neil E. Traveler
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:12 AM

"In January 2008 I had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona on an NETC Teacher Convention. Having briefly passed through Catalonia several years earlier, the city of Barcelona was on my list of "must see" destinations. I had traveled with educational travel companies in the past, but I was preparing for my first tour with NETC. I'd heard from colleagues about NETC's high quality, student-centered travel experiences, yet I was anxious to familiarize myself firsthand with their mission. This teacher convention allowed me to accomplish these goals, and also provided the opportunity to meet and build relationships with NETC representatives and guides with whom I would later be in contact.

"As we arrived in Barcelona, an NETC representative personally greeted each guest and made introductions among all group members. I was impressed that each NETC representative made an effort to not only learn every participant's name within a day's time, but also a point of personal interest. It was a testament to NETC's commitment to building relationships with group participants and ensure that everyone is engaged in all activities.

"The next few days went quickly, but were made up of rich activities that one cannot even imagine. At the Park Montjuic we strolled around the stadium, which had been center stage during the 1992 Olympic Games. The view was breathtaking, providing a magnificent panorama of the skyline of Barcelona and her port and the majestic mountains that lie beyond. My first impression of Barcelona was a spectacular and lasting one.

"That evening, we attended a reception hosted by NETC. Group members met and mingled while enjoying a champagne toast and a marvelous selection of regional tapas. Our NETC hosts were most gracious in welcoming everyone, while giving an overview of the Barcelona program as well as NETC's experiential learning philosophy. This convention was but a harbinger of the consistency of NETC's commitment to high quality travel programs, as we later found held true during our Rendezvous a Paris student tour.

"Among the many historical sites that we visited were the 14th century Catalan church of Santa Maria de los Reyes and the ever-popular Santa Maria del Mar where we witnessed a performance of the intimate Catalan dance, the Sardana. The Picasso Museum illustrated the importance of Barcelona in the development of art and architecture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I found the unique art and architecture of Antoni Gaudi fascinating - a tour of his Casa Mila was most memorable with each room and floor depicting a luxurious Art Nouveau architectural style.

"For our final evening, NETC hosted a "Farewell Dinner" at a popular harbor side seafood restaurant. We dined on a sumptuous meal - a variety of tapas followed by paella, which was by far the best I've ever eaten in my life! Complimenting this wonderful culinary experience were conversations among group participants, who were recounting with awe the number of sites we had visited in the course of three days! NETC representatives interspersed themselves among the group and changed seats periodically throughout the meal, allowing everyone the opportunity to chat and bid farewell to one another. The following day, we would all return home with a warm feeling in our heart for the beautiful city of Barcelona that we had come to know in such a short period of time. More importantly, everyone was leaving with a deeper sense of appreciation, respect and gratitude for each and every person who works so hard to share meaningful and memorable travel experiences with others."

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Hi, I'm Amy! Avid traveler and social marketing guru at NETC. I'm also the editor of NETC's Educated Traveler blog, where you'll find all kinds of information about travel and education, tips, NETC news, classroom lesson ideas and more! Subscribe above!

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Meet NETC Group Leader, Sue Williams

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