I can remember standing at the top of a long ramp at JFK airport and looking down to the people at the gate. This was back in the day when friends and family were actually permitted to go through the gate and wait with you before you headed to your destination. And so, that's what my parents did. I lived in Pennsylvania, but we drove to New York City for my flight to Europe. I was going to be gone for one year. I had one suitcase, no carry-on bags, and lots of nervous energy. My dad felt that it was very important to be at the airport "on-time" and so we arrived FOUR hours early and had nothing to do except sit, wait, and wonder. We checked in, we ate lunch, we chatted, we sat and waited. Finally, my flight began boarding.
It was like a scene out of a movie. I walked with my back to the crowd up the ramp towards the plane as my parents stood at the bottom. When I finally got to the top, I turned, looked at them, and said with tears that suddenly sprang from my eyes, "Don't make me go!" Where did this come from? I had ALWAYS wanted to study overseas and now all of a sudden, just as it was about to happen, I said, "Don't make me do it!" What??? My parents just waved to me, arm in arm, then turned and walked away. I knew I had no choice but to get on that plane even though I didn't know a soul.
The flight was a good 6 to 7 hours and I cried for a solid 3...can you believe that? Perhaps that's why I no longer cry that much...I'm all cried out! And then I met Sean and all was right with the world. He was going to be studying in Europe, too, and we became great friends. I had made my first of many new friends and I knew things were going to be fine. In fact, they were going to be amazing. I was ready to start my adventure. I was off to Sceaux to meet my new "family".
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
30 comments:
I can imagine me doing that for no reason. I want to do the same thing, but in a different way. When I get older I would love to move to London for a year. But I would bring a friend to travel with me on my way there so I wouldn't be as sad.
I bet you would surprise yourself, Morgan! You could do this adventure on your own, but it would be fun to travel with a friend, wouldn't it? So, you're interested in living in London? I've been there and also loved it!
And did you see that Hannah also wants to live in London someday? So see? You already have a friend headed in the same direction! :-)
Wow I can totally picture that happening in a movie, I really can. But, it was probably good that your parents just waved and left, because really, you had to carry on with your dream, you couldn't just stop, no matter how hard it was.
Exactly, Sally. My parents did that on purpose because they knew that it was going to be such a great experience for me. That was good parenting, wasn't it? (Can you tell that they were teachers, too?!)
I LOVE BRITISH ACCENTS. But more specifically I love the history there, like the Mod Era consignment shops and the Tower of London. There is this tradition where Beatles fans go to London and steal the Abbey Road signs, and in Liverpool the Penny Lane sign was stolen so many times the just started painting it on the sides of buildings! Anyway, I think if I ever did move that far away I'd be so scared- but also exhilarated. I'd be high on the independence! But not being 100% comfortable with the native language would make me too scared- that's why I wouldn't want to study abroad in Italy or France. But London is a great compromise because I'd be comfortable but still be able to VISIT Italy and France (and Greece, and Sweden, and Germany, and Belgium...).
That is awesome, not only did you leave the country you left the country and studied there for a year! I haven't even been out of the country, much the less study there for a year! Although I don't know where Sceaux is it sounds like a simply dashing time. I remember once I heard a french man talk in Washington and I walked up to him and said "Je Suis Hamburger" and he just stared at me.
I would of cried too. I'd miss my parents so much, and I'd be so scared to not know anybody there. You're really brave to do that (even if you cried a little.) I don't know if i'd be able to function without a friendly face around. Also because their currency is different than ours I'd be so lost when it came to shopping
I don't think I could ever be away from my family for a whole year. Even being really far away. You were very brave to go into a new country by yourself, even if you did cry. But I'm guessing you had an amazing time there and defiantly learned a lot. Maybe someday I will go to London, but I don't think I could be away for a year.
I haven't been out of the country but the last time I went to Maryland with my friend we went to a baseball camp but i was ready go so I said bye real quick and got off on the plain.
It must have been really cool to do that besides the part when you were upset but it was good that you met friend. It's pretty funny that your dad got you there 4 hours early because my dad did that when we got to go to Colorado. We got there at 5 and the plane didn't leave until 7:45 but it was then delayed to midnight so we had to wait a LONG time.
I also would love to go abroad for a year, but not to France [or London]. When my parents were both done with college they went to Germany [at different times, they didn't know each other then] and my mom lived there for 2 years and my dad for 5. If I were to go abroad, I would want to go to Germany and Hungary and back to Ireland and Scotland, I have roots all over Europe and I think it'd be fun to visit all of them for a year or more.
Well it seems that you had everything planned out until you were right there. Getting on the plane. I would most likely cry a lot too, I would miss my parents. Yet, you got through it and it was probably a really good experience. I would like to travel there someday too!
Comment to Ben: That's really funny! It's pretty funny to say things that other people won't understand. It must have been simply dashing! I haven't been out of the country either but I always wanted to.
I know that I would be someone to cry and not even know why it used to be really hard for me to ever leave my parents when I visited my grandparents in the summer when I was little but I'm used to it now. But I'm sure when i do eventually go to France I wont be lonely because my mom promised to take me before i graduate(: Even if I did end up going alone I'm sure I'd be fine with all the shopping and sight seeing!
Im pretty sure I wouldnt suddenly have a flash of regret. Id be like, OK BYE! and be gone... escapes are great
I can't wait to travel. As soon as I can, I want to be an exchange student in France. I have to be at least 15, so I'll be in my Sophomore year of high school. Even though I would miss my family for such a long time, I think I would be really exciting and SO worth it.
(This is Hannah C.)
I'd like to go there to study, but I certainly wouldn't want to ride the plane alone! 6 to 7 hours. I remember the long flight. I tried to sleep for most of it but I couldn't sit still an eventually I ended up having a fit! I think I could be brave enough to go to different country and not know anyone :)
My aunt loves to tell me about when she was younger and went over to Paris and studied. She actually made it into a magazine for being the best dressed! I think you were very brave for going on your own, and I think it's great that you made friends so quickly!
I think that I would have done the same thing.I wouldn't want to leave my friends and family. But like you once I got there i would probably get all caught up in the moment and forget about everything and have a great time!
I think I probably will cry too if I get a chance to France. It will probably be a mixture between happy tears for realizing my dream and sad tears to leave my family and a few nervous tears. I think meeting a new "family" in France would be fun, too.
I'm commenting again, as you are currently telling us to comment on both. I think your next post is going to be about cheese in France. Cheese is good, I've never had wine- but I hear the wine there(France) is tres bon. Clara's very excited about fruit at the moment, and Isabella is raising her hand. I think I should be a stenographer. I want to learn Spanish, French and Italian before I'm to old to travel- and I'd also love to learn a little Greek. My sister wants to learn Chinese and Russian, you know, the hardcore languages. So I'm rambling, talk to you on your next post!
I don't think I'd be able to cry on the plane, if I cried at all it would be at some random time in the middle of the night, I think. I'd probably be too excited anyway.
So many of you said how much you would like to travel, but that you would miss your family terribly. I, too, am so very fond of my family -- they are some of my very favorite people in the world! I must say, however, that when you're living what you know is a "once in a lifetime experience", you feel like your family is with you and that you're actually living it to the fullest not only for yourself, but for you, too. So, keep those dreams alive! No matter where you live and what you study, do it with "joie de vivre"! (Ben, use that next time instead of "Je suis hamberger"!)
And PS...you're about to find out how dashing Sceaux is! :-)
I have been out of the country before but I that was with my mom or relative. And I don't think that I can ever go anywhere outside the country without a friend or family member unless it's a place that I have been to a lot. But yeah I would really be scared if I ever went alone, because its me, just one person in a whole other world with different people and different ways of life, that is really hard and very scary to do, you would have to be really brave to do that. Oh yeah one question, what in the world is Sceaux????
I have been out of the country once (mexico!) and I couldn't imagine going anywhere alone all by myself, knowing not one person! Did you know french when you went there? because I would not want to go at all if I didn't know how to speak it!
As much as I would like to become an exchange student, and how much I would like to get away from my family sometimes I just can not imagine being away from my family and friends for a whole half year and going away with a family you know absolutely nothing about! When I think about becoming an exchange student I think of how fun it would be to see the culture of other countries but then I think of how strange it would be to be away from the people you know and being away from your home.
If I choose to leave the country by myself I would really flip out!
First of all, airports are kind of creepy, and I would be crying about going into the airport!
I can't even imagine what I would be like actually getting on the plane by myself!
I would hate going away from my parents for so long to a foreign country, not know how to speak the language it would be so frighting.
Post a Comment