Europe with Students

Our life has been pretty crazy lately. We spent months researching how to go about moving to China, conducted an international teaching job search, worked on and sold our house, now we are getting ready to actually move out. In the middle of this chaos, we stopped everything and chaperoned a trip to Europe for Don's students. And it was the best thing we've done in a long time.

(Photo: Some of us at the Acropolis in Athens)

One of my favorite nights was in Paris. We ate the tour dinner, which was unexceptional but for the waiter who dumped escargot on a Japanese tourist's head (she wore a plastic bag on her head for the rest of the meal!). Truthfully, we didn't know mediocre food existed in France. Some of the kids were disappointed, we were disappointed, Don was grumbling, "This isn't French food..." So late that night we took a group of kids out in search of good food.

Our hotel was located on a street with Turkish businesses, so we went to a Turkish restaurant and ordered by looking at the pictures. A few of the kids seemed skeptical, but they gave it a try. By the end of the meal, everyone was raving about the food, tasting the last of the baklava the owner gave us on-the-house, and making plans to come back the next night, which some of them did. I was thrilled to be witness to students trying something new, and loving it, and it set the tone for the rest of the trip, by the end of which the kids were telling us, "You've got to try this restaurant we found!" Wow, teachers live for that stuff.

So, when people ask me about the trip, I don't mention Pompeii, which I have been longing to see my whole life, and I don't tell them that the Acropolis looked spectacular at night. Instead, I enthusiastically explain how great it was to travel with this group of kids, and to see them grow and mature over the course of a couple of weeks. As someone who spends almost all her time managing teenagers, as both a parent and teacher, meeting people as mature, interesting, considerate and hilarious as these students reaffirmed my belief that each generation has good things to offer, if we just take the time to look. I am honored I was able to get to know these young adults and those two weeks will always be among my favorite travel memories.