Adam, 16, is going to Greece. Without me. He's going on an ACIS-sponsored trip with a group from his high school. He's been to all the places the group will visit, but he'll be seeing things with the eyes of a young man, not a boy on vacation with his family. I'll encourage him to try things like marinated octopus and to take along and consult my Michelin Green Guide , but on this trip, he'll make his own decisions.
Mrs. Eveline Johnson, a social studies teacher, is leading the group of some 60 students and 17 adult chaperones. She's been leading these tours for many years and has developed the following Ten Commandments of Travel to help the young voyagers make good decisions and appreciate and enjoy their experience. These commandments should be carved onto stone tablets and placed in the international departures lounges of the world's airports:
The Ten Commandments of Travel
1. Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast them at home, for thou hast left home to find things different.
2. Thou shalt not take anything too seriously, for a care-free mind is the beginning of fine travelling.
3. Thou shall not let others get on thy nerves for thou art paying good money to enjoy thyself.
4. Remember to take only half of the clothes thou thinks thou needs - and twice the money.
5. Know at all times where thy passport is, for a person without a passport is a person without a country.
6. Remember that if we had been expected to stay in one place, we would have been created with roots.
7. Thou shalt not worry, for he that worrieth hath no pleasure - few things are truly fatal.
8. When in Rome, be prepared to do somewhat as the Romans do. Same goes for Athens, Santorini and Nauplion.
9. Thou shalt not judge the people of a country by the one person who hast given them trouble.
10. Remember, thou art a guest in other lands, and he that treateth his host with respect will be honoured.
To that I say, "Amen."
(I will devote 10 consecutive blog posts to Greece and the destinations that my son's group will visit so the kids' parents can enjoy a virtual journey. The Greece posts will begin on Tuesday, March 22 and run daily through Thursday, March 31. Watch for more octopus, a funky Acropolis, world-class sunsets, Venetian fortresses, beehive tombs and the most beautiful island on the planet (yep, Santorini). )
