Although we didn’t find out where Chloe is going, we did find out that students going to Spain leave the latest (first week in September), which means Chloe should be here for her birthday. That’s also the first day of school here, so maybe she and Andy can go to school, even though they won’t be enrolled. Hmm – maybe not. I can see where that might not be such a good idea. It could make the trip over more melancholy because they will see all of their friends doing the usual things – things that they won’t be a part of for a year – and they’ll be smacked in the face with the realization that all of their friends will get along just fine without them.
The travel agent had the most new (for me) information at the orientation. Passports, you can read about that anywhere, but people still have lots of questions. Insurance, same thing. But the travel agent came with much more than travel information. She did a good job of cultivating confidence – it’s obvious that the travel arrangements are in competent hands. Her agency, It’s Your World Travel in Seattle, makes the arrangements for about 750 kids a year. They don’t seem to have an active Web site even though the e-mail addresses are @iywt.com, and it’s not www.itsyourworldtravel.com – good thing, too, because that company has forgotten a few apostrophes – it’s not possible to trust a travel agent that can’t even get its name right. The arrangements are complicated and include getting visas. They need visas, even in countries that don’t require tourist visas, because they are not tourists and will be enrolled in school. In most countries, a student visa is good for no longer than twelve months; in a few countries, it’s only eleven months.
Some clubs will keep the student’s travel documents (tickets, passports) for safekeeping. The travel agent suggested trying to avoid that, but if they insist, ensure that they agree to be responsible for replacing them should they be lost, stolen, burned, or swept to sea in a flood. She suggested keeping the documents in the zipper pocket of their largest suitcase so that when a kid calls saying she lost her ticket, the travel agent can say, "No you didn't. It's in the zipper pocket of your largest suitcase, right?"
Students leave here with an open return ticket (they need to be able to come home at any time). They are supposed to let the coordinator here know around Christmastime when they’ll be coming home because, I’m guessing, by then they should know when school will be over and if there will be a Rotary trip afterward. Many Rotary districts take all of their exchange students traveling after their official stay. It’s optional, and parents have to pay for it, but it sounds like an opportunity not to be missed. For example, the Seattle District has a trip planned this year that will take the students to California, Disneyland, the Grand Canyon, Mexico, and several National Parks. Spending several weeks traveling with other exchange students from all over the world, many of whom have become friends during the year, would be a good way to decompress before going home.
I’m still planning to go over when Chloe is done, but now I know that our itinerary will depend on if there is an end-of-year trip and, if so, where they go. Two of the return students said that their families did the same thing, but by then they had already been traveling for about three weeks so they weren’t so excited to spend another three weeks living out of suitcases. I don’t have a list of must-see destinations, so we can be flexible.
this does not work for me im looking for how did pamplona get its name? thank u very much
Posted by: Amanda | Friday, March 16, 2007 at 05:45 AM