First meeting over and done! I was really scattered but Katie had it together. Everyone was really nice and took the frantic pace in stride. I'm starting to get a feel for how big this group is going to be. It will take some careful management but its going to be a great bunch to travel with.
The chaperones met briefly after the meeting and decided we should dedicate the next few blog entries to introduce ourselves. Hopefully this gives the travelers and their parents a better idea of who we are and why we do this.
We'll start with me - Wendy. I grew up traveling. My parents had lived in Germany and frequently flew our family back there over the summers to visit old friends and then we would take off exploring some region of Europe. I've visited all of Western Europe, Scandinavia, much of Eastern Europe and the 'Soviet Block' countries, and the Middle East. My favorite places are almost all in the United Kingdom.
I graduated from Highland, the "U" with a degree in FCS Education, and then earned a masters degree from Utah State University. I had the opportunity to write some of the architecture curriculum used in interior design classes across the state. Returning to Highland to teach in 1992 I was mentored by Dean Collett who invited me to join him on his Europe tours. Dean is still a pillar of the Highland faculty but age made it difficult to continue traveling so I inherited the program back in the '90s. (Dean turns 85 on Sept 29, if you are a student or former student stop by room D102 and wish him a happy day!)
In 2004, I invited the fabulous new humanities teacher to come along and enhance the trip. What a great plan! You'll learn about how amazing Katie is in another post.
This summer I will celebrate my 30th wedding anniversary while on the trip (my husband is a home body). I have four children: Stephen, Christine (Todd), Drew and David. I drag them along to Europe when I can.
I am addicted to exploring Europe and love to share that addiction with new generations. My favorite parts of travel are exploring the markets or any place the 'locals' hang out and finding the yummy special treats in each country. I also love watching as the student travelers gain confidence as they learn to navigate these foreign lands on their own, realize how big and diverse this planet is, and become citizens of the world.
The chaperones met briefly after the meeting and decided we should dedicate the next few blog entries to introduce ourselves. Hopefully this gives the travelers and their parents a better idea of who we are and why we do this.
We'll start with me - Wendy. I grew up traveling. My parents had lived in Germany and frequently flew our family back there over the summers to visit old friends and then we would take off exploring some region of Europe. I've visited all of Western Europe, Scandinavia, much of Eastern Europe and the 'Soviet Block' countries, and the Middle East. My favorite places are almost all in the United Kingdom.
I graduated from Highland, the "U" with a degree in FCS Education, and then earned a masters degree from Utah State University. I had the opportunity to write some of the architecture curriculum used in interior design classes across the state. Returning to Highland to teach in 1992 I was mentored by Dean Collett who invited me to join him on his Europe tours. Dean is still a pillar of the Highland faculty but age made it difficult to continue traveling so I inherited the program back in the '90s. (Dean turns 85 on Sept 29, if you are a student or former student stop by room D102 and wish him a happy day!)
This summer I will celebrate my 30th wedding anniversary while on the trip (my husband is a home body). I have four children: Stephen, Christine (Todd), Drew and David. I drag them along to Europe when I can.
I am addicted to exploring Europe and love to share that addiction with new generations. My favorite parts of travel are exploring the markets or any place the 'locals' hang out and finding the yummy special treats in each country. I also love watching as the student travelers gain confidence as they learn to navigate these foreign lands on their own, realize how big and diverse this planet is, and become citizens of the world.
