Leaving for Europe

This is our group right before we left for the airport. This is one of the best groups of young people I've ever met!
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Charlamagne one said that, "to have another language is to possess a second soul."  I believe that.  I have three languages and I can assure you that I act, speak, believe, and feel in completely different manners in Spain or France that I do in the United States.  As a foreign language teacher, this connection to something foreign is what I spend my students' high school years trying to get across to them.  For me, I was not able to see how important speaking other languages is until I was in another country.  I was sixteen when I traveled abroad for the first time and I fell in love with the idea of making something "foreign" into something completely familiar.  This will be my third time in Europe:  once for twelve days in High School, then again in college for an entire summer.  Now, I'm the teacher and I'm twenty-four and I'm so excited to see how it feels to not be a stranger and to feel comfortable in the places where we will be.  I can't wait to see my students faces when they really and truly experience something unattainable in the US, when they finally get why I wanted them to come to Europe, when they tell me they can't wait to come back.  Can you tell I've been waiting for this trip for a very long time??

Here, two of my students EP and JO relax at the Detroit Metro Airpot before we boarded our flight.
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I gathered all seven of my students at our High School at about one o'clock in the afternoon today.  I've tried to prepare them as much as possible for this great experience, but I don't think, no matter how hard you try, can you fully prepare someone for their first big travel adventure.  I have several people who have never flown before, which I guess isn't that far-fetched since we are in the middle of nowhere Ohio.

"To have another language is to possess a second soul." ~Charlamagne

EH and PH wait to get on the plane.
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We finished our last minute preparations: weighing luggage, final itinerary for the parents, directions to the airport, handing out the allocated shares of Euros, and then we were off.  It only takes about 2 hours from our school to reach Detroit, and we had no problems checking in, going through security, etc.  I didn't even lose anyone during the caravan to the airport.  Our kids said their last goodbyes to Mom and Dad and then they were all mine.  I feel that I have taken on this huge responsibility taking these seven kids to Europe, but I'm confident that I can handle it all.  It still boggles my mind that these parents actually trust me with their kids for two weeks.  But I know I will take the best care possible of all of them.

We ate dinner in the airport, at Taco Bell.  I guess this can be their last taste of fast-food for awhile, because I'm not letting them eat that crap in Europe. Well, I guess I'll update you again after the overnight flight.