Adventures with Fellow Alumni

Imagine sleeping in an igloo with a skylight that reveals a dazzling array of the northern lights. That will just be one of the attractions on the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Arctic Magnificence trip to Finland at the end of March. Since 1963, Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) tours have allowed UW alumni to explore destinations around the world.

Shirley Krsinich MS’76, one of WAA’s most frequent travelers, has signed up for 20 trips. Krsinich says that one big draw for her is the friendliness of Wisconsin travelers.

“I have traveled with my husband, with my friends, and with my nieces, and all were warmly welcomed. And I have traveled by myself, and I was warmly welcomed and felt included, which can be a fear for many first-time single travelers. I’ve always appreciated my fellow Badgers for being so hospitable.”

Madison physician Christopher Harkin ’84, MD’89, who took the Egypt and the Eternal Nile trip with his wife, Jacquelynn Arbuckle ’91, MD’95, says their trip was “so much better than we could’ve imagined. The educational value was just a much higher level than any other professional tour because our group was educated at the University of Wisconsin. … We are always going to take our future tours through WAA.”

Some of the program’s most popular trips include European river cruises, with a Dutch water-ways tour to Holland and Belgium during tulip season taking first place.

Other favorites are ocean cruises to ports of call such as Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, and the Mediterranean. Popular land options include African safaris, Italy, Japan, and Iceland. Every other year, adventures in Antarctica, Southeast Asia, and the Galápagos Islands are on offer.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of all trips in 2020 and many in 2021, travel director Amy Klus ’05 says the program quickly bounced back in 2022, with the only difference being that more travelers now opt for travel insurance.

According to Chief Alumni Officer and Executive Director Sarah Schutt, “The WAA travel program plays an important role in our efforts to connect alumni and friends. For more than 60 years, alumni have shared memorable moments around the world and have created lasting friendships by traveling with other Badgers. The wonders of travel are taken to a higher level in the company of those with whom you share a special UW bond.”