The low rumble of plane engines, seatbelts clicking together and the shuffle of feet greet people when they decide to travel. As they board the plane, they are filled with both excitement and expectations. 

Former librarian Casey Penner organized a student trip to England and France. She consumed media surrounding this trip beforehand.

“I watched a lot of travel vlogs and read travel blogs about the place we would be visiting,” Penner said.

This research impacted her expectations.“My expectations were met and, at times, exceeded,” Penner said. 

The media can also help prepare travelers for what they will encounter on their trip. It helps to provide a sense of excitement and anticipation, which can make the experience more enjoyable.

“I appreciated being able to see some of the locations that I was less familiar with prior to the trip. That enabled me to share with my travelers what I had learned and build excitement,” Penner said.

High expectations can be set when travelers look at where they’re going on social media, which sometimes cannot be met. Other times, travelers feel that the media only shows the good about an area, and hides the bad.

Junior Maeve Fleming, who traveled to Cabo, Mexico recently, has experienced the media hiding certain things from travelers.

“The thing was, in the resort, you’re kind of sheltered to what’s outside of it,” Fleming said. 

Certain people research the destination they are visiting and gather as much information as they can about that place, while others do not.

Two students, seniors Chloe Smeltzer and Kabren Wetzel, were both on the student trip organized by Penner. Neither were on social media very much at the time.

“I wasn’t big on social media at the time,” Smeltzer said.

Expectations were still met, even without the presence of the media.

“I like to see it for the first time in person,” Wetzel said. “Things like the wow factor, like for Mont Saint Michel, wouldn’t have been as strong.”