Sweet Surrender

Lost and alone on some forgotten highway
Traveled by many remembered by few
Lookin' for something that I can believe in
Lookin' for something that I'd like to do with my life
--John Denver

Last night we told our Baby Girl she could go study abroad in Morocco. Extremely hard for me to do. She wants to get better at her Arabic. It will help her pursue her career goals. She will go live with a family, learn more about their culture, get college credits, and have an experience of a lifetime. All good things. But I worry about her safety. I will miss her. Terribly. It was hard enough to have her half way across the country, much less half way around the world. But at the same time I understand.

I was determined about my career goals. I always have been. I've known ever since I can remember I wanted to go into education. I come from a family of educators...An uncle who taught college Spanish, another uncle who was a school librarian, an aunt who was an art teacher, a cousin who teaches special ed, another who teaches high school English, another who is a school media specialist. Even my dad once contemplated becoming a Social Studies teacher. I was heavily influenced by all the educators in my family. Most of my jobs related to the field of education or working with kids...nanny, camp counselor, group home supervisor, community education teacher. So I understand my Baby Girl's drive to do things that will help her get where she wants to be professionally.

I also understand her desire to travel and learn about other places and the culture of the people who live there. When I was 15 I went to Austria with my German class. I saved my babysitting money for 3 years to be able to go on that trip. It was a 10 day trip and although we were in Munich for a day or so, most of it was spent in Austria. The places I remember most were the Schonbrunn Palace and the Munich Olympic grounds. My cousin was in the US Army and stationed in Munich at the time. I was given permission to leave the group one evening to see him and his wife.

I went to CA when I was in college. I went through Devil's Tower, WY; Estes Park, CO; Reno, NV; and on to Yosemite Valley, CA. My folks knew I was going to California but they didn't know about the hitch-hiking part til I got back. I've traveled around the Great Lakes with my folks; been to Mazatlan, Mexico; British Columbia, Canada; upstate NY; the Four Corners, USA; McKinley National Park in Alaska; the Deep South; cycled from MN to Michigan; and driven through almost every state in between. About the only state I haven't been to is Hawaii. A few years ago my Baby Girl and I took a trip to Ireland and Scotland. There were places in these two countries that had deep spiritual meaning for us and we understand that about each other. And although her reasons for going to Morocco are different, and are hard for me, I still understand.