Our three weeks in Germany come to an end, it's time for the 9 teenagers and me to get back on a plane and head towards the US.
I think all of us are looking forward to being home again. Hugs from the family, a kiss on the cheek from the boy friend, snuggling with the cat, hanging out with your 21 friends, not having to eat bread unless you want to, being able to drive yourself; everybody has their own reasons to be happy about going home, but we also dread leaving our temp families and new friends.
I have to say that this was an awesome trip. All the travelling to, from, and within Germany was without snags, the group activities were well organized, and the teens and families all got along. Of course there were minor hiccups. Some of the teens had troubles finding their way, but everybody always ended up making it back to the group. One or two of them need to learn just how many beers are too many. And a few should really be more open to foreign cuisine instead of running into the first Burger King they see. But, I have to say that both, the German and American teenagers, were absolutely awesome.
Especially my 9 travel companions were top notch and made being a chaperone on this trip easy and enjoyable, I was probably having too much fun, at times. People keep asking me if I'm going to chaperone in 2020; I don't know, because I just can't imagine another group of teens being as good and fun as this one.
Lastly, a reflection on Berlin. A beautiful, vibrant, city with a rich history and loads of shopping options (leave it to the Germans to take the American mall concept to the next level at the Mall of Berlin). But, the rich history includes some dark chapters and we visited memorials that remind us of the Third Reich and Jewish persecution, East Germany and the Stasi. I hope that the group didn't just experience these memorial visits as downers, but as lessons to learn from and heed the advice of our Stasi prison tour guide and be active in our democracy.
Signing off,
Der Chaperone
(Markus)
Comments