My kid is going to Europe!

[matis]

Hey!

We all know the damage done to a child's psyche by the "lack of socialization" of home-schooled kids and the terrible effects of "indoctrination" in religious schools, right?



My daughter graduates Yeshiva in 10 days.  Top grades.  We home-schooled her before that for 5 years.



One of the grandmothers of another graduating student, apparently not exactly broke, has decided to pick up the tab for all 6 girls of the graduating class -- and the principal -- for an all expense paid trip to:

Warsaw, where my father was born.

Auschwitz, where many of our family went up in smoke.

Then other places in Poland and finally they end up in Prague, Czechoslavakia, the city of one of my very favorite writers when I was in college -- Franz Kafka.



Does it seem like I'm going on the trip, too -- vicariously?  



This generous grandmother is paying for everything: airfare, hotels, city transport, food (not cheap, it has to be kosher on the highest level), EVERYTHING!


All I have to come up with is a few hundred bucks for spending money for souvenirs, trinkets, phone calls and who knows what.

And I'm getting her a new digital camera with extra batteries and memory cards.



I think I'm more excited than she is!


Hell of a graduating present, isn't it?



I'm so happy I could bust!


matis

[Brad Johnson]

Hope she makes the most of it. That's a trip of a lifetime for most folks.

Brad

[grampster]

Isn't it amusing the vagaries of life?

[cosine]

Sounds like one lucky student! Hope she has fun. I'd love to travel in Europe like that someday.

[The Rabbi]

Why would someone want to support the Poles, who are still to this day a bunch of vicious anti-Semites?

[Winston Smith]

Why would someone want to rain on the parade, which is still to this day really awesome?

Europe's pretty sweet. Post some pictures when she gets back. Warn her not to buy anything without a price tag, etcetera.

[Smith]

Awesome!  I've spent some time in Western Europe but I'd love to go where your daughter is going.  Maybe next year I'll make it.  Any chance you can afford to extend the trip a little and get her to go to Paris, Rome, and London too?

BTW, I think Berlin was my favorite European city...but I'm a big cold-war buff.

[SteveS]

Hey!

We all know the damage done to a child's psyche by the "lack of socialization" of home-schooled kids and the terrible effects of "indoctrination" in religious schools, right?

Wow, you are not going to find much sympathy for home-schooling or private school on APS, the advocate for public education.

Sounds like a great trip.  My grandparents paid for me to do a semester in Ireland when I was in college.  It was a great experience.

[Art Eatman]

Fantasmagorical!  Neat!

, Art

[matis]

I'd love to travel in Europe like that someday.

cosine -- ME, TOO!    



matis

[matis]

Thanks for  the responses to all who posted.



Now, that I'm getting used to the idea, a new obsession has risen to the surface -- I've got to thank this lady -- to tell her how excited I am and what a wonderful gift this is to girls she doesn't even know (except for her grand-daughter).


So I asked who she is.  Guess what?

My kid says that she's remaining anonymous!  The kids don't know who she is.


An anonymous benefactor!


So I'll have to write my letter without knowing who she is and send it to her through the principal.



Things are getting curiouser and curiouser!


But wonderful, nevertheless.


I'll keep you posted.



matis



P.S. Their itinerary is fixed, so no London, Paris, etc. this trip.