|
 July
is the traditional month of family vacations, and whether your family
spends a long weekend camping, hops a plane to visit distant relatives, or
stays at home, the important point is that it is a space in the year for
the family to share time together.
My family is very
fortunate this summer. Our extended family, ten of us including mom, dad,
aunts, uncles and kids, has the opportunity to travel to Beijing, China.
We will spend seven days exploring a culture very different from our own
and anticipate the experience will be incredible.
We have taken time
over the past three months preparing for the trip, so that we are informed
travelers. We got together every week to plan. Wyatt and Christine, as a
part of their homeschool curriculum, became our research team. They shared
their findings about places to see and provided a wealth of statistics
about the world's largest country. Steve downloaded pictures of China and
Beijing for everyone to use as screensavers. Everyone committed themselves
to learning a smattering of Mandarin so that we can at least tentatively,
in a nasal Midwest American accent, say "Please" (qing?) and
"Thank you" (xie xie!). |
As we applied for
passports and visas, the excitement built. We made lists of "must
sees" (the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Tienanmen Square) as
well as things we had to do (rent bicycles, do Tai Chi in the early
morning park with the elders, visit a local market). We collected requests
from friends and tapped those who have been there for their advice. It was
fantastic community involvement. We are somewhat ready now.
As I write this, we
are only a week away from leaving and are caught up in packing lists and
last minute details. In a quiet moment, though, it occurred to me that
while the trip will be educational and exciting, the sharing of all the
preliminary "stuff" has added a bonding of spirit in my family
that enriches the whole adventure beyond compare. It is my hope that your
family, however you spend your vacation, has such a moment.
Now, Zhong Guo
beckons. We will share our photos and stories (for we all keep journals)
upon our return. |
