Jean's letter
Dear EF,
The young woman who stepped off the plane returning from the Global Citizen Award experience was not the same person who left Detroit on her way to Europe. When I asked her how she liked visiting New York, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Munich and Berlin, I expected to hear “It was great!” or “I had so much fun!” Of course, those statements came later in her description of her travels; but the first thing out of her mouth was “I am so much smarter now—you would not believe what I learned!”
She began by telling us about how Budapest got its name, details of Czech architecture, the ratio of mountainous areas in Austria, and described in detail how the Berlin Wall, a symbol of oppression, had become an artistic expression. She told us she learned that the most important set of words in any language is “Hello,” “Please” and “Thank You”—that if you combine any of these with a smile, you can make friends anywhere.
I think what strikes me most is how her outlook on life has changed completely. She now describes a certain anxious awareness that there is so much to see in the world and realistically so little time in life to do it. Her growth as a global citizen manifests itself in interesting ways. For example, watching her stand in a check-out line at the store and start laughing because while she has three different currencies in her wallet, she has no dollars—and then watching the store clerk and the person behind her in line marvel at the currency as she explains why she has them—and then listening to her response when they ask her why she hasn’t changed them back to dollars: “Because I can spend these when I go back someday.”
The number one item on her criteria list for college is now the quality of their study abroad program, and she tells me the U.S. will always be home, but she can’t guarantee she will live here for the rest of her life. She tells me she knows that she will have to live in another country—somewhere for a “little while” after college. Maybe it will be for the Peace Corps or maybe it will be for an international conglomerate, but she says there are too many places to see and too little life to see it all.
She still talks with the friends she made during her time in Europe. I look at the pictures, each telling a story of its own—the kids in the pictures always smiling like they have a wonderful secret they’re just bursting to tell you, and I think, “Yes, these are the future adults I want to entrust this crazy world to.” Maybe because of their experiences, they’ll be able to bring a better future for all nations.
I am forever indebted to this experience and to EF Educational Tours for offering my daughter the opportunity to become more confident in herself, culturally aware of her surroundings and appreciative of where she came from and where she is going in the future. I know I don’t have to worry about her at all anymore when she travels because she is more mature intellectually, emotionally and culturally.
I think my picture album of Adrienne, which began as baby pictures, is evolving into a collection of postcards! As parents, we want our children to experience things we can only dream of. Thank you for making these dreams come true for my child. Her life is forever changed because of you!
Sincerely,
Jean Poplawski
Mother of Adrienne
Toledo, Ohio
Global Citizen tour, July 2007