Tara’s Takes
E arly Tuesday morning, I stood on my front steps sending Ben off for a 7 a.m. Jazz Band practice. Normally when my kids head out the door, I give the parent way of saying “I love you” without actually saying it. Instead I say, “ Drive safe.”
This week, as I sent him on his way, my final words to him as he left were “Fly safe.” That’s right — fly. No, I didn’t mean I wanted him to speed on his way to school. Instead, this would be the last time I sent him off until Sunday because after school and work, he and the Marshall BPA team members who qualified for nationals were headed to Nashville.
A week ago as I was trying to write my column, I was jumping back and forth between text messages and calls from Natalie as she and her class and chaperones navigated four delays, finally boarding a plane, sitting on the tarmac for two hours, getting off the plane, having to Uber kids three by three to a hotel in New York City only to be back again the next day to try and make their way to Chicago, then Minneapolis and finally home.
Natalie’s five-day class trip to Washington D.C. and New York City turned into six full days.
I’m hoping Ben’s fiveday trip to Nashville is ess eventful in the travel category.
The crazy part to me is how kids are learning and experiencing the world around them now compared to when we went to school.
When I was in school, we took a field trip to the Sioux Falls zoo one year and a couple times to the Shrine Circus. Then in sixth grade, we had our big trip to the State Capitol.
Today, my kids have had the opportunity to spend a week at Camp Foley, an environmental camp. They have taken field trips to Sioux Falls, many places in the Twin Cities and Itasca State Park.
Brady and Ben both competed at National BPA in Chicago. Natalie spent time exploring amazing sites in Washington D.C. and New York City. I’m sure Ben will find time to check out some of the fun parts of Nashville when he’s not competing.
The world we live in today is larger and more connected than ever. That translates to learning and experiencing things in a completely different way.
Was I a little sad that every single one of my kids’ first flights were without mom? Yep. But I was more excited about the things they were about to experience and learn from.
Natalie’s WWII history lesson had a much bigger impact when she visited the Holocaust Museum. And for a child who wasn’t even alive on 9/11, getting to experience the humbling 9/11 Memorial is something to be treasured. That was just a couple of their stops.
Another important aspect of their travels is the independence and life skills they are learning. Natalie got thrown in the deep end with her long 28 hour travel day to get home. But in between, my kids are learning to advocate for themselves, to travel respectfully, to manage their time and to manage the stress that comes with it. They are meeting a wide variety of people that they never would in southwest Minnesota.
Yep, I completely feel like I am running in different directions, and at times I have to stop and think about what state my kid is in. I rely on Snapchat updates and an occasional text to ease my nervous heart. And travel is not cheap, but a lot of life lessons aren’t, either.
The experiences students can get, whether in high school or at the college level, through competition or a study abroad opportunity, are many. There is a big, big world out there and I can’t wait to watch my kids keep exploring it. Just as long as they come home and remember to send me a text now and then.
