Day 9: The Sun Never Sets on Sachem Nation

Okay,  I know I am a couple of days late with my final blog entry for #Eurotrip18, but I have been trying to stay active and avoid jet lag.  I was concerned that sitting in front of the computer to generate some thoughts would knock me out...it still might, lol.

Two days ago, I awoke in London, England and started the long journey home.  It was about 6am in England when I called the two rooms to make sure the girls were up.  All of them were awake and finishing up some last minute packing.  At 6:45, we met in the lobby to await our coach ride to Heathrow.  Joseph had departed around 3 hours before to bring the group from Maine to the train station, but he informed us that Gabriel (another Tour Director) would be making our transfer with us.  Gabriel arrived on time and our coach showed shortly thereafter.  It was a quick ride to the airport and we said our goodbyes to the boys from Connecticut.  We walked to the Air Canada agents and checked in for our flights.

We made our way through security without a hitch and found ourselves in Terminal 2 waiting for our flight.  We had time to kill which allowed everyone to grab a coffee or some breakfast.  We boarded our flight to Canada on time and prepared for departure. It was a fairly uneventful trip.  I watched two movies and played some Angry Birds.  The girls all seemed to get a little sleep.  We landed in Halifax with a weather report that included intermittent snow fall.  I was wearing shorts.

The airport in Halifax is quite small.  The food court included only four restaurants. Laura and I ordered from A&W and the others all ordered pizza (figures, lol).  Time passed and we passed through security for our flight to Boston. Flying Air Canada allowed us to pass through US Customs while in Canada which made our arrival to Logan easier.  We were on a tiny plane.  Only about 100 passengers.  The flight was just about a hour long.  We landed and made our way to the baggage claim where we were greeted by some very grateful parents.  The bags came and we left.  Eurotrip18 was finished.

But is a trip ever really finished?  I say this because whenever I am abroad, I find myself chatting with other travelers.  We share stories from the "road."  It is one of the best parts of travel, to me.  On this trip, we met a ton of great people.  Travel allows us to do that.  I entitled today's blog, "The Sun Never Sets on Sachem Nation" as a tribute to this concept.  I heard the phrase, applied to England, many times over.  I heard it on this trip.  I don't remember when, but it definitely came up in conversation. 

Saugus High School, in the past 15 years, has sent kids all over the world...that is not hyperbole.  We have had our kids on every continent except Australia and Antarctica...but some of our veteran travelers have made their way to Australia.  As I type this, around 20 Sachems are arriving from their Hawaiian adventure.  The sun really doesn't set on places where Sachems have been.  Hawaii, China, Africa, Europe, the Galapagos Islands, Belize...and more.  Each of these trips have concluded, but they haven't really ended.  They appear online via Timehop and Facebook.  They show up in conversation among fellow travelers.  They appear in dreams of those who have traveled and those who wish to travel.

I will always remember this particular trip.  Not for the destinations, but for the people.  Of course, the 6 girls from Saugus High were amazing.  They were everything a Group Leader would want.  They were respectful and timely.  They shared with each other and the others.  They went to bed on time (mostly) and were quiet when they needed to be.  They were curious.  They asked questions even if they thought the questions were stupid.   I will remember them individually for their contributions to our overall experience.  I will also remember them as a group...the highlight of my experience. I tend to write vaguely about the kids on this blog.  Usually only referencing someone by name if the situation requires it.  In one way, it is a security thing, but in another way, it is because the experiences are shared among us all. 

This trip was special because of some of the other folks we met along the way.  Most importantly, Joseph, our Tour Director.

I stole this photo from a Joseph Beattie Fan Page.

Joseph Beattie, in real life, is a little older than this picture might indicate.  A few years ago, in England, he would be recognized on the street.  He is a pretty accomplished actor.  While we haven't seen him in anything recently for reasons that I choose to keep private, Joseph is making his way in front of the camera again.  I hope he makes it back into the limelight.  He deserves it.  He made this experience what it was.  Yeah, as the chaperone of a group of girls, having a heart throb as your tour director is a little distracting, but his good looks were nothing compared to his humanity.  He related to each kids, each group, each chaperon, and all of us.  I spent more than a few hours just chatting with him in the lobbies of the hotels we stayed in as I wrote this blog.  For a successful actor, he was quite a regular guy. 

I also spent a bit of time chatting with Sean, our Irish driver, and he was another reason why this trip was so great.  He set the perfect tone with the kids and make his bus our home.  He left his four children (including infant twins) at his home with his wife while we were there.  I never really thought of the personal lives of our European friends as much as had on this trip. 

The other two schools had some really great kids and chaperons too.  I hope to cross paths with them again.  As we arrived at Heathrow and collected our personal belongings, one of the Connecticut teachers approached me.  She thanked me for helping with their kids and she complimented our girls.  She said that our school should be proud of the kids we have exploring this world.   Her sentiments did not go unnoticed.  We Believe in Sachem Pride because it is real.  Our kids, especially when abroad, exemplify the type of character that our residents can be proud of.  I've heard these thoughts expressed in Central America and all over Europe.  A whole generation of travelers have departed from Saugus High School and they've spread all over this planet.  They have brought with them the right attitudes and behaviors and they've earned the respect of the folks they've met. 

I don't know when I will go overseas with kids again.  These trips are taxing and I am not getting younger.  I experienced a few very difficult years riddled with charges from town officials about my role on these trips.  It has worn me down...but as much as that is true, our kids have risen to the occasion to reinvigorate my spirits.  I am hopeful to take another eager bunch to some new place...time will tell where we go, but when we get there, we will learn.

Thanks for the kind words and comments over the past few days.  I hope I helped bring this trip to life for the friends and families of the girls and of myself.  I appreciate that folks have taken time to read these blogs.