Thursday our principal postponed our March trip to Spain. I am so disappointed. My students are so bummed out also. It is so frustrating . I have been planning this trip for 2 years. We cancelled the trip after Sept. 11, 2001. and now we are postponing til next March 2004. It is so upsetting. I know you all will understand my feelings.

Did he cancel because of the state of the world and threats of terrorism? It must be terribly disappointing after all the work that you have done to prepare.

Yes, unfortunately the world events and the huge responsability of taking the kids out of the country during this difficult time made the principal decide to postpone the trip. SO SAD!

See, this is another proof that all this war on Iraq business is just plain crazy!!!

Yes Esperanza, I'm sure most of us understand what you must be feeling, '¡pobrecita. Y pobrecitos tus alumnos. En fin, esperemos que podaís venir pronto, que a la tercera va la vencida!' so don't lose hope.

We took a student group to England and France last year. Everyone had a wonderful time. Yes, security was a bit tighter, but we didn't feel unnerved by anything here or abroad. First off, we travel with EF and they gave us a guarantee that if world conditions deteriorated, they would put our money towards a trip at a later, more secure date. Also, if someone got cold feet just prior to the trip, they could also bail out and put the money to another trip, another year. We are going to Italy and Greece this year with the same understanding...plus the realization that should the worst happen, we may have to give up our itinerary and go to whatever safer country they want to move us to. One of the beliefs that enables us to go overseas in difficult times is that we prefer to live our hopes rather than our fears. These trips take at least a year to put together...that means we are planning with faith in the future from the start.

Several years ago there was a brief article about a farmer in India who had gone out to look at something or other in the field. He was a peaceful, ordinary farmer, miles away from any sign of civilization and had no reason to be unnerved about anything. He never returned home and was found dead in the field. Investigators found some blue substance around the body. It was determined that a toilet malfunction in a jet flying overhead resulted in the man being killed by a block of frozen piss. How does one prepare for that? I think for most of us, being afraid to travel in/to countries that are our allies and friends is a bit like being afraid to leave the house because of the risk of being hit by blocks of frozen piss. Yes, it could happen, but the odds are not greater for us as Americans abroad than they are for our friends abroad OR for us here (remember how much we knew about 9-11 before it happened.)

I'm sure your pricipal would think us crazy, but we will not hide in fear until that becomes the only prudent course of action.

Well said, La Maestra, or should I say, La Bibliotecaria! Please post EF's phone number, for those of us whose schools or colleges are thinking of taking students abroad this year and next.
Gracias!

The company we were travelling with, ACIS ,also has given us the option to put the money into the trip next year. They were really accomodating also and very understanding. I would recommend them very highly. I agree with you maestra that we cannot live in fear. I probably would not have made this decision to postpone, but I have to respect the principal's decision. I have no other option.

To tell you the truth I am thinking about postponing my trip too. After the announcement of the orange terror alert I have been debating...if it was just me I would still go, but I am taking my kids this time...what does everyone think????

Julia

Booklady, here's the info on EF: 1-800-637-8222 or eftours.com
I would change my name, but I am now a designated "teacher librarian" and la maestra bibliotecaria would be a bit cumbersome!

My principal took a group of us to Kosova for a humanitarian/educational project after the war, and this year she has plans to take a group of students to Japan and Korea as she does every year. I guess she is more of a risk taker than most principals are!

I strongly believe that if you are working with a well established student travel organization and THEY feel comfortable with the trip, there is no need to cancel. These people have a lot to lose if they send students in harms way just to make a buck. Last year a group was in Italy when a high level warning went out and EF had the kids whisked away to a safer place within hours of the warning. Nothing happened, but EF felt strongly that safety was the most important thing. I know they monitor the State Department's warnings and if EF says we don't go, we don't go. Until that time, the trip is on.

I was spending a semester in Spain in 1990 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and started making lots of threats about possible terrorist activities. It was a scary time to be a 20-year-old abroad alone, and several of my friends changed their return trips to fly on airlines that were less "conspicuous" than the major American carriers. I was flying Pan Am and was really nervous about my return flight--I remember a long phone conversation with my parents about possibly (a) staying in Spain for another semester (gee, how sad that would have been--NOT!) or (b) going to Switzerland and flying home on SwissAir--or meeting up with a friend from Germany and staying with her for a while.

I hate to see people changing their travel plans based on a nebulous rise in the threat level, but I also remember just how obsessed all of us Americans got about the possible dangers of being abroad when war and terror attacks seemed imminent. I think it is different when it's your own family--a small group and very mobile, with lots of emotional supports in place. Any decisions can be made without consulting outside people. With a group of "other people's kids," you have the families' wishes to consider, and the kids don't have mom and dad to calm them down. I know my group of American friends in Spain talked of nothing else but war with Iraq when I was there--and we were susceptible to every rumor that came along!

It's such a shame your group won't get to go, esperanza...broadening kids' horizons through travel is so important, especially now.