“Are you worried?” This question seems to pop up whenever someone discovers that our 13-year-old, Alex, is heading to France for two weeks this summer. “With everything that’s happening…” they trail off, searching for a way to mention “gun violence” and make veiled references to terrorism without sounding too dramatic during casual conversations at the park.
Meanwhile, we’re left wondering how best to respond. The truth is, we’re not overly concerned about him going abroad. Sure, we worry about Alex every day—whether he’s getting on the bus, trying to bait a fishing hook, racing down the stairs, or walking home from a friend’s house. We’re all living in a constant state of low-level anxiety; that’s just part of being a parent.
But sending him overseas? That’s a different kind of worry—akin to fearing lightning strikes or the occasional run-in with a Portuguese man o’ war. (Trust me, at 41, those creatures still haunt my summer thoughts.) Yet, the notion that keeping our son in America somehow shields him from danger is both depressing and absurd.
We signed off on the exchange program for two reasons: 1) it’s a summer in France, and 2) Alex wanted to go. When his fantastic French teacher presented this opportunity, he was eager to take it on. My wife and I were caught off guard by his enthusiasm; it felt almost like he’d just revealed he’d single-handedly solved a complex physics problem. At 13, he’s far braver and more adventurous than I ever was in my youth, and that spark of excitement for something new compelled us to sign the papers without hesitation.
People often ask if we’re scared, but honestly, we’re envious. Alex will be staying in a picturesque town nestled in the Alps, a place that looks like a postcard with its charming streets lined with café tables and majestic snow-capped mountains in the background. He’ll attend a small school where kids have been friends since kindergarten, and his host family is a lively group of youngsters who speak a smattering of English. We hope they embrace our son as the endearing and slightly awkward middle schooler we know him to be.
Of course, we’ll be a bundle of nerves until we see him off at the airport. He’s not some jaded adventurer seeking out danger; I’m sure France has Minecraft like everywhere else. But he’s going, and we believe this experience will help combat ignorance and fear—fears that often manifest into absurd anxieties echoed on television during soccer practice, where parents sip coffee behind oversized sunglasses.
“Isn’t immigration a problem there?” one parent mused, trying to connect her own worries to our son’s exchange program. It’s baffling how some people can tie their fears directly to a child’s educational experience abroad.
While my childhood was filled with love, international adventures were never on the table. My own mother preferred to keep things close to home, which, although well-intentioned, felt somewhat stifling. We hope this journey teaches Alex that the world is an open book, filled with opportunities for those fortunate enough to reach out and seize them. Ignorance breeds fear, and perhaps one day, we’ll even explore the idea of sending his younger brother on a similar adventure.
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In summary, while we have our everyday concerns as parents, sending our son abroad is a step toward broadening his horizons, overcoming fears, and embracing the beauty of the world.
Keyphrase: “foreign exchange program”
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