Many people believe that traveling is only for holidays or special occasions, such as a honeymoon. Some people never leave the country where they were born until they are forced to attend a funeral or relocate for a job. Others are unable to or choose not to travel until they are into adulthood. My view on (international) traveling, however, is that it is a way to make connections and stay connected. This is true for developing friendships, and especially true for family connections. Imagine having Christmas dinner via Skype? Or celebrating your great-grandmother's 93rd birthday on the other side of the world by way of facebook status updates. Sure, technology is great, but wouldn't you rather be there?
Columbia University, and many other universities and specialty programs, advocate planting the travel seed in your child's life very early. They offer programs where high school students can travel to different parts of the world to learn about how other people live - and in turn, appreciate their own personal family history, how they live now, and their future role as global citizens.
This year, Deja was lucky enough to be chosen to participate in The Barcelona Experience High School program offered by Columbia. This is a program in which students examine the history, art, and urban development of Barcelona, Spain, enriching their understanding of how European communities develop local, regional, national, and international identities.
Deja chronicles her day-to-day experiences in a blog - including beautiful pictures. The title of the blog is all about deja. Please click here to read about and share in her travels. Or you can find her blog at http://allaboutdeja.wordpress.com .
Cheers,
Marsha