Day 8: The Diamond Anniversary post.

It is hard to imagine, but this is my 75th blog post.  In that time, I've had nearly 37,000 page views and a wide variety of comments.  The laptop I'm writing this on has been to about a dozen countries and all together we have taken close to 300 students to a wide variety of destinations.  The first glimpse at "Where in the World is Mr. Lavoie" began in France and Amsterdam in 2012.  I didn't quite blog on that trip, but I did make my Facebook account available to parents and friends.  I try to post regularly and I tried to share pictures as well.  The response was overwhelming.  I knew it was something that people back home valued and so, I tried to improve upon it.

France and the Netherlands 2012

It was a small group, but a great one.  We experienced many wonderful things in both France and Amsterdam. It wasn't the first educational tour I was on, not even the first one I led, but it was the first one where I tried to create a digital presence for those back home.  The youngest travelers on that trip have just graduated and are embarking on the adventure that we call life.  I wish them, and the follow Eurotrip12 kids, the best of luck.  I am Facebook friends with most of those former students now and I am always quite pleased to see that many of them are continuing their travels abroad.

The following year, 2013, was the first real attempt at creating this blog.  I was determined to make it a success.  The first few blog posts were written in advance of the trip and tried to set the tone of what I was expecting.  The enrollment numbers of this tour slowly crept up and before we knew it, there were nearly 40 students going to Ireland, Wales, and England.

Ireland, Wales, and England 2013

We had no idea what emotional roller coaster this trip would be when we departed Logan airport.  Shortly after our trip around the Ring of Kerry, we heard about the Boston Marathon bombings.  This blog became a method of reassuring parents that their kids were okay and a method of allowing me to express my concerns and sorrow.  A few days later, Saugus High School lost an icon in Nancy Lemoiine.  She was a dear friend of mine and I found our about her passing while writing this blog.  The chaperons and I had to deliver this news to our group. It was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult experiences of my entire life.  On that tour, we had many of Nan's kids. They were musicians, actors, and singers...they were her friends.  We also had a wide variety of athletes and scholars.  In our mourning, we realized that everyone on that trip had a "Nan."  These tragedies came to bind us together into a family.  That resonated with us the following day in Wales, we met a singing group at the Hand Hotel.  They found out we were from Boston and they dedicated a performance to us.  They had no idea what impact they would make on us...they provided comfort, a human touch, and a dose of reality.  We learned that the world was filled of wonderful people.  It is something that these trips make clear to kids.

A few days after returning from that trip, I received a small package in the mail.  It was from Saugus, California.  A care package our travelers sent to their school in response to the shootings at Sandy Hook had made an impression on their school...and they were paying it forward.  This culminated with two students, and myself, traveling to California to be the guests of honor at their graduation.  This blog followed that adventure across the country.

Saugus, California

 This spring to remember didn't end in California with their graduation.  I was fortunate enough to be asked to chaperon a middle school trip to Washington DC.  On the bus with me was Mrs. Hamer, the middle school librarian, Ms. Payne, the high school librarian, and Mr. Woods, the Director of Science for SPS at the time.  These middle schoolers didn't know us (Ms. Payne and myself) very well, but the kids on Bus #2 welcomed us into their world.  We had a great time with them and shared quite a few laughs and memories.  The relationships we built with them, covered by this blog, made it possible for Ms. Payne and myself to become their class advisors at Saugus High School.

Bus #2 waiting for our Bus driver to show up because he got lost

The next year, 2014, this blog traveled to central Europe on a Historical tour of the Holocaust.  As you can imagine, the trip was a very emotional journey into our modern past.  The students who left Saugus behind experienced the horrors of Dachau and Auschwitz, but we also experienced the wonders of Jewish culture.  The trip took place over Easter and for many, it was their first time away from home during a major holiday. We did our best to keep the kids from getting homesick and to keep the parents informed of our travels.

Our 2014 group at Auchwitz

The trip was transformative.  We will not forget the good friends we made from Canada or Ian's dedication made in honor of those who perished in the Holocaust.  The friendships made on this trip solidified my feelings that educational travels are as important as classroom settings...if not more so.

This past April, we returned to England, France and the Netherlands.  This blog shared our story into Canterbury, to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and to the shores of Omaha beach.  For many of us, walking through the National Cemetery was a moving experience that will never be forgotten.  In Amsterdam, we remembered the story of Anne Franck.  A kid.  A kid who changed the world.  Her legacy lives on and our travelers embody that notion.

2015 in Amsterdam.  The giant sign commemorating the city is a great photo op.

The powers that be once again allowed me to attend the BMS trip to DC.  It was a different set of kids, but their love of knowledge was infectious.  I am always impressed with kids who seek out more information and who want to learn.  I am so excited to work with those kids next year...little to they know that they've inspired me to revisit the entire 9th grade US History curriculum.  I'm hoping they enjoy what I come up with.

Some of Bus #3 in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial

And now, I find myself in 22B.  Our return flight from Atlanta to Boston after a week in Belize.  I'm sitting between two strangers, but our kids are all around me.  They have been so great.  They personify the reason why so many of us enjoy traveling with your kids.  They are respectful and courteous. They say "Thank you."  This past week has allowed me to get to know a bunch of new kids and to further my relationship with some whom have traveled before.  This trip is different than most of my previous ones.  It is based on adventure  and education.  We came out of our comfort zone and chased new waterfalls.  Ms. Usseglio and Ms. Payne did an outstanding job of organizing this trip and I am so glad they allowed me to document some of our journey.

I really wish I could showcase how great each of the kids have been, but I find myself, at different times, with particular kids.  Yesterday, on the way back to our hotel, I was sitting next to Amanda.  She is now a senior at Saugus High.  She was our only freshman in Ireland, Wales, and England.  She and I began comparing trips.  Not to see which one was better, but just as a recollection of what great experiences we've had together (She has been fortunate enough to travel on several trips with SHS).  As we talked, she mentioned that the thing she appreciates most is the sense of independence she has learned while abroad.  She was a quiet 9th grader who needed help with pretty much everything before we left for Ireland.  Now, she is a mature young woman who is not afraid of the challenges one might face in life.  I've said it before, but one must travel to learn.  Amanda is a shining example of that quote coming alive.  These kids all exemplify that.  They've overcome quite a bit to be the people they are.  Some adversity was optional, like snorkeling at night and some was thrust upon them, like having to visit a Belizean clinic....but all have made this trip complete.

It is fitting to me that this day has come full circle.  Not just for this trip, but for this blog.  Born in Amsterdam with photos posted to Facebook and culminating 30,000 feet in the air.  This morning we left the Biltmore and headed to the airport.  Albert surprised us with one more photo opportunity.

These kids will never stop Belizing!!!

The word is different and there are more colors, but I couldn't help but think of the "I AMsterdam" sign that we've posed at several times before.  As these belizers took their place among the letters, with the Caribbean Sea behind them, I paused to contemplate how similar this trip actually is to the others I've been on.  The common denominator is not food, artwork, or adventure; it is people.  We have met so many wonderful people in Belize.  Albert, Warrior, all of our guides, and even Oscar the waiter; these people, as well as the vendors and shopkeepers, have made us feel so welcome.  They are so different than a men's choir in Langollen, Wales or the school personal in Saugus, California, but they are also so similar.  Humanity is rift with examples of negativity, but the lessons of Auschwitz tell us that there are millions of untold stories of goodness in this world.  We just need to Belize in them.

On our flight from Belize to Atlanta, a man with a strange accent was allowed to use the PA system and address our flight.  He informed us that one of his peers was being promoted to Master Sergeant.  Like me, he had served 15 years.  Unlike me, his service was in defense of his nation.  As the ceremony concluded, the plane burst into applause.  We all shared this moment with this young man from the Netherlands who was being honored by his country while surrounded by strangers.  I'm sure he will remember that flight for a long time.  While he will never know that a few rows behind him a teacher would be blogging about this moment for parents in the United States, it is my guess, through our clapping and cheering, that he understands, the same way our kids do, that people are much more likely to be good than they are to be bad.

Our flight is nearly complete.  This trip is almost over.  It's impact on me, the other chaperons, and the kids who have traveled with us, however, will endure the test of time.  I overheard a conversation from the row in front of me.  Two kids, who I don't think were that friendly before our trip, were chatting away.  They were explaining how this was an experience of a lifetime. Each one will remember something different, but they will remember it.  They had both told me previously that they want to keep traveling.  They want to see more of the world.  I hope, when they do, that they think of this trip and they journal their experiences.  One day, on some far-flung adventure, I hope they remember the chaperons on this trip.  It would mean the world to us if we hear from them in the future...letting us know that they are still out there...chasing waterfalls, traveling to learn, and smiling to those who they meet.  Not all of these kids have graduated this year, but they have all become more prepared for the whatever the world bring them.  It is like Amanda told me, these experiences have made her who she is...and, like all of these kids...that someone is pretty great.

In just under a week, I am taking off on another adventure.  I will be spending two weeks in France.  I don't typically share my personal trips on this blog, but I might.  Not because I think my words are that important, but because a lot of the kids who have traveled with me have asked that I do so.  I only hope that when they travel on their own, they share their experiences with me.  Before I sign off, I'd like to thank a couple of people for a great year abroad. Kim and Jacqui are the two group leaders of the trips I've been on this year.  It was the first time leading trips for both of them and both did an extremely good job.  The chaperons I've traveled with have also been stellar.  Their efforts to keep the kids engaged and enthusiastic has not gone unnoticed.  I am extremely fortunate to work with such dedicated individuals.  You all rock.  The parents of kids on all of my past trips are also great.  Thank you for your kind words and encouragement through this blog.  Lastly, the kids.  You have been great.  You make this part of our job easy and worthwhile.  I am most fortunate to be your teacher and I hope you realize how much you've taught us all.

Mr. Lavoie, currently preparing to arrive at Boston's Logan Airport after an ubelizable adventure with equally unbelizable kids!!!