With 2 days to go, I have been fighting through some nerves. Let me tell you why. This trip will be my first out of the country. I wonder how intimidating Customs agents will be. Will my checked bag make it to Bogota?
We've received agendas for both Bogota and Bucaramanga, and they are PACKED. Speaking of packing, I packed and repacked and repacked due to the many different events and climates. I packed wonderful donated gifts for the students and our host teacher at the school that we will be visiting. I wonder how my lessons will be received. Did I bring enough pictures to compensate for my lack of Spanish?
I find that knowledge really is power for me. So, to help me to get control over my nerves, I turn to a travel Facebook group that I am a member of to look for some advice and encouragement. What I find is an article about how travel makes people smarter due to the new experiences and adjustments that people make. The article also gives suggestions on how best to benefit from travel experiences.
I find this article helpful because it helps me to readjust my thinking. I am moving from concern about what I don't know to excitement about the many new experiences that I will have and confidence about what how I will monitor, adjust, and learn. After all, as educators, we monitor and adjust on a daily basis. I guess that's why teachers are so smart!
Here's a link to the article if you're interested- https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-smarter-wisdom-project/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1RqWuxdBaN6CmSfZ4no80c9_P-bRjEEZ2iVr5CxMz8CvNRapwBVZtAYPc
