The education of the next generation

 I have taken my two nieces on trips to Europe before. It was easier because we live on the same coast, in fact, 20 minutes away from each other. These are my brother's kids. The two boys are my sister's kids. She complained to me one day, 'you've never taken my kids on trips.' So this trip I had to take to take them. I told my sister, I'm not going to plan any special trip for them, it'll be what I want to do and where I want to go and they will just tag along. The logistic was a little harder, they live on the wrong coast, rather the east coast. So I had to go to New York, travel with them to Turkey and return to New York to hand them back to my sister and return home to California. I was sick for weeks after returning because the flight home was over 24 hours. These two boys were such troopers, lapping up every adventure, touring old Georgian churches, old Armenian churches, eating Turkish food and loving it, hiking in a strange country, riding on strange buses and speaking a language none of us knew.

It is amazing what travel can do to a person. I know for a fact their lives are forever changed. Mine has since my first trip abroad. I remember my first trips abroad, almost always alone. With each trip I gather more courage and now Sophie, my sister in law comes along and together we're a formidable duo.
These two boys got to see their old aunt in action. I just pick up my bags and I'm going.....