Tomorrow this girl leaves for China. For 12 days.
Last May when she asked if she could write an essay to be selected for the school China trip* we thought "eh...why not?"
One year later she is packing her bags(!)
She has taken Chinese classes.
Co-produced the show that her group will put on for the students there (This Land is My Land, anyone?)
Practiced eating new things (thank you, China trip!)
Downloaded music for the lonnnnng flights.
Am I excited for her? Absolutely.
Am I aware that my own travel love and wanderlust may have contributed to this? Why, yes.
Is it easy to wave goodbye? No, not at all. I have anxiety and a wild imagination.
I have just one request....
Chesley B Sullenberger, could you please make sure you're assigned to the New York-Beijing flight tomorrow morning? (And back, too, please.) Okay, thanks.
Oh, and Maddy...take your red shoes. Just in case you need to click them three times.
*her school takes a small group of 7th graders each spring to China then, in the fall, we host a group of Chinese students here. There are plenty of teacher chaperones. They start in Beijing for a few days, take the train to Xian, where they attend middle school for a few days. Then they end their trip in Shanghai and fly home.
