My World Traveler

Last night, our 13 year old daughter flew to Thailand for 9 days with a group of classmates from her school for Spring Break. This is the first time she has ever flown without her father or I, and the first time she has ever been to another country without us. I confess to being slightly stressed about it yesterday, but one couldn't help but get caught up in her excitement about the trip.

My world traveler before heading to the airport.

Seeing her prepare and pack this week, I realize that my baby girl isn't a baby anymore. She's becoming quite a remarkable self sufficient young lady. Beyond that though, I see how being an expat teen is shaping the adult she will be one day. The experiences and opportunities she has now are far different than anything we would have been able to provide for her if we had stayed in the US.

In the next week my little international traveler will not only be a tourist, but also a humanitarian. As part of her school's International Baccalaureate curriculum, she has to perform community and service work each year. While she's in Thailand, she will be helping construct a water tower and a greenhouse for a village school along with pitching in on some other improvement projects. She'll also assist with teaching and playing with the children at the school.

Some last minute instructions from her guide aka her humanities teacher.

The trip isn't all about work though. She's looking forward to riding an elephant and holding a baby tiger cub, which for my animal lover will be an amazing experience I'm sure. She'll also be doing some kayaking, ziplining, and a host of other fun physical activities.

So, for the next week or so I'll be anxiously awaiting her return. I can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures from her first of many adventures.