The ability to travel just about anywhere you want is something that seems quite impossible for the everyday high school student, but for a student here at LHS, this is her reality. Junior Emily Klaudt’s mom recently retired from her position at the Sioux Falls airport, working at the ticket counter for United Airlines. This previous occupation allows her to receive many benefits in terms of travel. When a flight has an open seat, Klaudt’s mother is notified and has the option to board that particular flight for free, and often brings Klaut along.

Klaudt has traveled to 18 different countries all around the world, but there is one country that particularly sticks out as her favorite.

“My favorite place that I have traveled is probably Peru,” said Klaudt. “I really liked the culture and it is super pretty there.”

Besides an abundance of places, Klaudt has also traveled to quite a variety of different locations.

“I just went to Africa and it was my first time there,” said Klaudt. “Now I have been to all of the continents except for Antarctica.”

When traveling all around the globe it is inevitable that one is going to experience some challenges or abnormal circumstances; to no surprise, Klaudt has encountered a handful.

“We rode in a taxi while we were in China and after we paid, they gave us our change in fake money,” said Klaudt. “This happens very often there, so when we went to hotels and restaurants they would have money counting machines to make sure that your money is real. We lost quite a lot of money because of this.”

The opportunity to travel is not one that Klaudt takes for granted and through it, she has learned countless lessons.

“I think that it is important to travel because it is an experience that helps you to see that we are very privileged in the United States,” said Klaudt. “The things like the roads we drive on and the foods that we can eat are very different compared to other underdeveloped places I go to.”