Assistant Head of School Christy Lusk and her family traveled to Ireland, Norway, England and Scotland thanks to the faculty summer travel grant, now named the O.J. Morgan Travel Grant. Faculty members submit proposals for travel, which include the purpose of the trip and visits to other elementary schools, and one is randomly selected each year. Mrs. Lusk’s blog is found at https://luskblog.weebly.com/.

The Lusk family traveled for 22 days, meeting up with a group of Bright students and faculty in England. The first leg of the trip took them to Dublin and then a car trip to the west coast of Ireland. They stopped in Athenry, a medieval village, and then Galway. Breathtaking views took over day three along the west coast as they took in the Cliffs of Moher. “If this is not on your bucket list, it should be! On the edge of the cliffs, you have 360-degree views and you are struck by the sheer beauty of this natural wonder. We must have taken well over a hundred pictures,” she wrote in the blog. They also visited Blarney Castle and enjoyed bagpipes played on the castle lawn.

In Norway, the Lusks spent a day in Oslo, walking around the city. “Our first stop was the Oslo Opera House—a climb to the top offers amazing views of the city and harbor. Next, we walked through the Akershus Fortress. It was built in the 1290s to protect the city. Then, we took the Bygdøy Ferry Tour across the harbor to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. The ferry ride was a highlight of the day. The last stop was a visit to the Nobel Peace Center, saluting individuals who make our world a better place and learning about the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We ended the day with an early dinner at The Lanternen. Oslo can be described in three words—clean, modern, and pristine,” Mrs. Lusk wrote.

“Norway in a Nutshell” was a 13-hour tour from Oslo to Bergen that included train, bus and ferry transportation. “Everyone should do this at least once in their lifetime. From train to cruise to bus...every view was truly majestic. We simply couldn’t believe the grand scale of the mountains and fjords,” Mrs. Lusk wrote. The Lusks enjoyed Bergen and the incredibly warm temperatures.

The family flew from Bergen to London and rested. They spent one day touring Chiswick and Kew Gardens and shopping at Harrods. As Mr. Lusk returned to the U.S., Mrs. Lusk and daughter Natalie continued their trip with a day at Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle. “It was a day well spent! We were in awe standing in front of Stonehenge and the Roman Baths in Bath. We ended the day standing in the castle where the Queen lives for part of the year. The history we saw today was incredible!” she wrote.

On day 13 of the trip, the Lusks joined the Bright group in London and continued their tour with stops in York and Edinburgh. See Mr. Morgan’s trip story here.

Mrs. Lusk and Mr. Morgan spent one morning touring The American School in England. “It is located just outside of London in Thorpe. The international school serves more than 700 students, three-year olds through twelfth grade. It was a stunning campus with a historical buildings and manicured grounds. Sam Stover, a graduate of Baylor School, was our tour guide. He is the dean of middle school students,” she wrote.