High School Trips

[MossRoad]

Allright you guys, not sure why, but I think my son (11) was reading this post or something.

Yesterday, talking with my sister (who is married to my wifes brother) who lives in Germany, my son say's "can I come stay for a month or two with you so I can work on my German"

Well, after some heated looks between the wife and I it was quickly determined that neither of us had a clue this one was coming.

Then again, sending both kids to Germany for a couple months this summer may not be such a bad idea

Those are some close family ties! I would trust some of my family memeber much more than a tour guide. It may be an excellent way for the kids to bond with their aunt and uncle and give you and your spouse some time to yourselves, which can be a very fun thing.... I think.... because we haven't had much time to ourselves in the last 15 years.

 

[5030tinkerer]

I travel internationally about fives times/year. It is an eye-opener, no doubt, but if there is one thing that I've learned it's that no two places are the same. People's concerns are about the same (e.g. how do I keep food on the table, etc), but quality of daily living differs dramatically, even in well-established (i.e. non 3rd-world) societies. The media goes a long way in forming other countries' beliefs about what is okay - through direct conversation you find that we aren't so different after all.

I don't think just one trip would allow a person (any person) to get to a true appreciation for these differences, but it would be a start. That said, I don't know that someone under college age could have the true capacity to internalize what they are experiencing.

 

[AlanB]

Those are some close family ties! I would trust some of my family memeber much more than a tour guide. It may be an excellent way for the kids to bond with their aunt and uncle and give you and your spouse some time to yourselves, which can be a very fun thing.... I think.... because we haven't had much time to ourselves in the last 15 years.

It has worked out well for us at least, although every now and then I question my own sanity.

My German wife is one of 7 kids, from a small town something on the scale of a good sized subdivision. The family support network there is incredible, and hard to understand if you have not experienced it. These folks ancestors have all literally been together since the middle ages. We / I chose to walk away from that when leaving the Army as I had visions of being an businessman, and Germany is very focused on paperwork, and having the right schools, which makes it difficult for an outsider to walk into. The apprenticeship program etc. etc. is VERY much in place there.

So, we moved to Florida where I had some family support, and while we had some, it was nothing compared to what we had in Germany. My business failed, so in a fit of desperation moved up here to TN getting back into the Military Aviation community as a contractor. This left us with very minimal family interaction.

Sooooo,,, (I am making this a long story I guess ) I am where I am at so I can pursue my dreams, and have a biz, and make a decent living, but sorely miss my kids having the support that extended family close by gives and the interaction that goes with it.

When my daughter was 6 we started launching her over to my sister in laws house for a month or two each summer so she would get that experience. 9th grade, she went and was an exchange student (not with an organization) and attended Gymnasium (college bound high school). Somehow, she always loved it, and spoke German well.

That said, my son (sidebar: when my best freind says his kids are apples and oranges, mine are apples and steak) never really had the urge to go to Germany. He still traveled well with the Motorcycles, the golf and other freinds, but never had the desire to learn German. While my daughter went along and learned German to get along, my son was the kid teaching the Germans english so they would understand him...

Anyway, he spent a month there year before last with my one sister in law, and had a fair time, but it truly suprised me when he wanted to go back.

So, wandering back to the meat of this post, I firmly believe that international travel is a great way to expand your horizons, and broaden your view of the world. We have taken advantage of it in our family pretty much however we could afford too. I let my uncle take me to the middle east and Europe my wife traveled to America the first time as a Nanny.

What I would like my daughter too do would be to go to Germany for a couple months, base out of her godparents house (where she normally lives, not my sisters) Buy a Eurorail pass and make week or two trips to various Marriot properties in Europe. (my stepdad is part of Marriot and would look after her )

Hanna and I were talking about Dean at length yesterday, he wants so many different things, and we only have the resources to do one or two, sometimes it gets painful to say what is going to happen, and what is not. Not to mention the time factor.

But as I tell my daughter, this is one of those deals, where there is no "Bad" decision. If he goes, it is great, but he has to weigh it against Kayaking in NC, Motorcycle riding in the Southeast and Golf School in Florida, or staying home and making money to keep his "toys" going.

I don't remember having these problems / opportunities as a kid.

 

[mjarrels]

My daughter has traveled... she spend a summer in England (wifes aunt lives there). She has been to the Philippines twice, Japan, Hong Kong and just about every state in the US. Family is sort of scattered now... BIL working in Iran (yes Iran). BIL working in Macal (China Vegas) BIL working in Dubi.

mark

 

[Bird]

Yep, the world's sure changing. I never got 200 miles from home before I graduated from high school, and while I'm sure some did, I don't recall any of my classmates or friends who had ever been out of the USA.

Of course, when I was a baby my parents did move us, via train, from Oklahoma to Baltimore for a year or so. That was enough of a foreign country to them for them to move back to Oklahoma.

 

[mjarrels]

Forgot... SIL working in Ireland.

mark

 

[ultrarunner]

It's a different world today... especially for High School Students.

I'm not that old... really... I went to an inner city Catholic High School that never even heard of Field Trips.

I manage a couple of Rental Properties and some are rented through low income programs here in Oakland CA... the kids from these families really get around... Disney World, Washington DC, Hawaii and Mexico... I don't know how they can afford it either???

I second the value of spending a summer in Europe... it puts a different prospective on things and really doesn't cost very much if you are staying with family...

My best summer ever as a child was spent on my Grandfather's Dairy Farm in Austria... I was glad that I had a chance to experience before that way a life faded away over there.

 

[Wesdor]

Bird, I'm in the same boat as you. When I graduated from high school I had never been more than 200 miles from home.

My wife talked me into going to Europe (mostly Germany) in 1975. I made her promise to NEVER bring it up again if I went that one time.

That trip changed my outlook on the world and life. We have been back nearly every other year since then and have hosted many people from other countries. And yes, she never brought it up again. We did have an advantage because we made friends in Germany and have spent many summers with them.

I believe we need to see our own country first, but going to other countries really opens up your eyes. Sometimes we Americans think we have all the right answers and in my travels I have found lots of other people have ideas that often work even better.

Our children feel equally at home on the farm, in a big city (my wife's parents lived in Chicago) or even in a foreign country. The wife and I speak German (I didn't speak a word of it on our first trip) and the kids all speak Spanish (they claim to speak no German, but understand a lot more than they admit). Travel has turned out to be a real advantage for our children. So to the parents wondering what their children will get out of a trip - the MIGHT learn a great deal. However, I would be very careful in choosing the tour company. Not all are concerned about providing a real learning experience for the tour members.

Regarding how the teachers pay for their trips. Typically a teacher goes free for every 10 students they sign up. If more than 10 go, they get additional cash and if fewer go, the teacher gets a percentage off. You might be so bold as to ask the teacher if they get any reimbursement or reduction in cost for their trip.