Tomorrow I head off to Europe, meeting my group of 12 high school students at JFK. We’ll take an overnight plane to Paris, and then, following an epic 7-hour layover, land in Rome. I’ve been tasked with planning a number of activities over these coming days. Scavenger hunts to have the kids expl0re the city, lots of information to explanation and dozens of fun games to play.
I’ve had to make a change in my travel philosophy this summer. I’ll have to develop more patience first and foremost, but above all else, I’ll have to become less selfish. It sounds weird and I don’t think of myself as overly selfish, but I have to make sure I’m doing whatever we’re doing for the kids. So that has led me to reorient myself for the summer. Hence, I’m here in Brattleboro.
These past couple of days of training (it’s really only been 4 days) have been jam-packed. Around 80 of us, from across the country and at various points in our lives, descended on Brattleboro to learn how we are supposed to care for these kids this summer. Thankfully, many of the leaders were returning and offered their words and wisdom from trips led during summers past.
It’s interesting to be in a place with so many like-minded people. Everyone collected here wants to travel. We want to travel more. We’re hungry for the adventure, the unplanned, the unrehearsed. It’s been nice to hear from so many other people just like that aren’t sure what this coming fall will bring. They all share the sense that life is a journey and planning it out too much would be a waste.
So tomorrow at 8 a.m. I will begin a new journey. Tasked, this time, with bringing the magic of being abroad to the eyes of 12 young people, hungry to see the world.
Not Intent on Arriving 
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