Pre-Flight Jitters

Well…. we received by mail from Youth For Understanding USA the final travel itinerary for Maggie (Maggs). She will be arriving one day later than we thought, on the morning of the 24th of the month. She will do an overnight layover at Washington-Dulles airport. She informs me she is having her final farewell parties in Poland and we are also doing our final preparations for her arrival.

We have been in contact with the PCEP (Plymouth Canton Educational Park) regarding procedures to register Maggie and to choose classes and activities. She has been mining the website for the last week or so from Poland for possible choices. I must say that the Youth For Understanding and the Plymouth Canton Schools so far have been very helpful.

A special shout out to Nancy Eggenberger, who is our (volunteer) representative from Youth for Understanding. Yes this is the same Nancy who serves on the PCCS Board of Education. I don’t know how she does all of this. She has been very helpful when we have had questions or concerns.

We have passed our pre-arrival in-service and now the waiting begins. This is where the pre flight jitters come at you. We have learned much about culture and culture shock and transitions in our pre arrival in-service. Coming from Eastern Europe I wonder and sometimes worry a bit about what preconceived notions Maggs has about the USA as a whole and Americans in general. Will she be disappointed if she finds out that all Americans are not ultra thin, take botox and have huge houses and swimming pools? What will she make of the dizzying array of commercial, political and cultural activities available in the US and all the good AND bad that they represent? Will she want to run to Tim Horton’s to get a morning coffee or experience the nirvana that is promised if you have your breakfast/lunch/dinner at McDonalds or will she want to “have it her way” at Burger King?

What will she make of this strange game that takes over the US every fall where they PASS instead of KICK the ball? And we WON'T even mention reality TV. Will she find all of this inconceivable and strange? Will she find us inconceivable and strange?

The whole idea of student exchange is for both sides to get to understand and know each other and make each of us less inconceivable and less strange. Wednesday morning, Metro Airport. I’ll be there.