And they're off!

Our delegates have made it through airport security and are on their way to Colombia...watch out!! They should be arriving around 9 pm Colombian time (10 pm Ottawa time). The departure was not as emotional as I would have thought, but then again we are getting rid of our teenagers for a month...if there were any tears, they would have been of joy! I am kidding of course! Our teenagers are a wonderful group.

Nic had everything well in hand. Paperwork was all organized and the check in seemed to go quite smoothly. I hope these smooth transitions follow them throughout their adventures in Colombia.

One more Sleep!

Isn't it amazing how time flies?!? It seems like only yesterday that we were saying our goodbyes to the Colombian delegation. Now we are frantically preparing to send Luca away for a month. This promises to be a learning experience for Luca as well as for us. As soon as he leaves, we will want to set up shop at the Arrivals gate and wait patiently for the grand return...

Delegation Farewell Party

On Monday night we had a farewell party for our Colombia bound brood. Nic, our leader extraordinaire - the guy with the Canada hat - will have his hands full as these guys are a boisterous bunch. Some of the kids have travelled through CISV before, while for others this trip will be their first big trip on their own.

CISV (Children's International Summer Villages) is an organization bringing children together through cultural interchanges to foster tolerance and understanding for a peaceful tomorrow http://www.cisv.org/ Luca is a fairly new member of CISV and through it has found another venue to feed his thirst for social interaction. We hosted the Colombian delegation last summer and not only did he make friends with like-minded kids his age in another continent, he has made lasting friendships with good ole Ottawa kids he would have otherwise never met. I am now beginning to see the value of CISV as a peace organization and not just a travel agency for kids with every group interaction. I also see Luca interested in learning about life in Colombia - what do kids do for fun? What is school like? What sports teams kids are involved in? What movies they like to watch? and, most importantly, What music they listen to...

So, the packing continues. I think the shopping is all done...or at least I hope it is anyway. Three more sleeps!

6 days before takeoff

Luca is beginning to get excited about his trip to Colombia. We spoke with his Colombian counterpart, Juan Camilo and his family a few nights ago and that really got Luca pumped! No really...he has even reintegrated all the Colombian favourites back on his MP3 and in the top 10 on his playlist. He is singing like a true spanish crooner...well, the hip hop version anyway. And, he has even made a list of "what I need for my trip"! A list! I am so proud.

I have started this blog as an experiment to see if Luca checks in from Colombia and if anyone who is interested in staying in touch with him while he is away can do so right here. I will do my best to keep this blog active but I also hope you will contribute. This is kind of like a personal diary except that anyone is encouraged to contribute thoughts or anything relevant...or not. I hope to keep this fresh throughout Luca's trip. Please feel free to contribute in the language of your choice - I am guessing that will be mostly English, Italiano y espanol.

Hasta manana.