LeapNow!
Over the next two weeks, there will be an influx of young men and women into our home. They will be staying for 1 day up to 2+ weeks. They’re all alumni of a program called LeapNow, in which they spend one college semester as a group traveling through foreign countries, then another semester in a solo, independent internship of their choosing, anywhere in the world. Some of the first semester choices include Thailand, Bali, and India. My daughter, Jessica, participated in the program which began in 2006 and ended June 2007. They spent 3 months in Latin America, participating in turtle tagging and eco-farming in Costa Rica, home-stays in Honduras and Guatemala, as well as community work wherever they lived. Jess learned that the best way for her to teach English was through her singing-of American songs! During their travels, they were assigned traditional coursework as well as writing of their experiences and introspective evaluations. At completion, the parents participate in a weekend of powerful ceremony.
This is the first of their annual reunions. I feel lucky, as we live near the college, so all the other students fly into our area-that’s why they stay here before and after the reunion weekend. I saw them between semesters last year, and was able to catch up on their lives and learning. One young woman, Callie, lived here for a month before going off to her internship in Australia. She and Jess worked extremely hard in my bookstore, and truly helped with organizing the shelves. In fact, Callie is the person who introduced me to Mary Oliver’s poetry, for which I am incredibly grateful. I cannot wait to see these young adults, and catch up on what they’ve done with their lives~I saw such profound changes in my daughter and the other students during their breaks and after completion.
I’m looking forward to their energy, enthusiasm and stories. Read more about LeapYear here.
One Response to “LeapNow!”
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What a fun program! I like Mary Oliver, too. You’re lucky to be surrounded by so many young people who want to see the world.